I am not sure AI will be that much more different or effective than what has been done by rich elites forever. There are already gigantic agencies and research centres focusing on opinion manipulation. And these are working - just look at how poor masses are voting for policies that are clearly against them (lowering taxes for the rich etc).

But all these voters still have their place in the world and don't have free time to do anything. I don't think people are so powerless once you really displace big potion of them.

For example look at people here - everywhere you can read how it's harder to find programming job. Companies are roleplaying the narrative that they don't need programmers anymore. Do you think this army of jobless programmers will become mind controlled by tech they themselves created? Or they will use their free time to do something about their situation?

Displacing/canceling/deleting/killing individuals in society works because most people wave their and thinking this couldn't happen to them. One you start getting into bigger potions of people the dynamic is different.