Tech Won’t Save Us
Silicon Valley wants to shape our future, but why should we let it? Every Thursday, Paris Marx is joined by a new guest to critically examine the tech industry, its big promises, and the people behind them. Tech Won’t Save Us challenges the notion that tech alone can drive our world forward by showing that separating tech from politics has consequences for us all, especially the most vulnerable. It’s not your usual tech podcast.
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The Geopolitical Fight Over Huawei w/ Yangyang Cheng
Paris Marx is joined by Yangyang Cheng to discuss how Huawei became one of the most powerful companies in China and how current geopolitical narratives distract from the issues at the heart of surveillance capitalism in the US and China.
Yangyang Cheng is a Research Scholar in Law and Fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Yangyang wrote about how Huawei is emblematic of China’s capitalist model for China File.
- We also discuss Eva Dou’s The House of Huawei.
- Donald Trump discussed how the USA uses the same tactics the government accuses China of employing in bad faith.
Chatbots Are Repeating Social Media’s Harms w/ Nitasha Tiku
Paris Marx is joined by Nitasha Tiku to discuss how AI companies are preying on users to drive engagement and how that’s repeating many of the problems we’re belatedly trying to address with social media companies at an accelerated pace.
Nitasha Tiku is a technology reporter at the Washington Post.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Nitasha wrote about how chatbots are messing with people’s minds.
- Paris wrote about Mark Zuckerberg’s comments about people needing AI friends.
- AI companies are facing ongoing lawsuits over harmful content.
Brazil's Battle to Rein In Big Tech w/ Laís Martins
Paris Marx is joined by Laís Martins to discuss the recent enforcement measures against tech companies like X and Rumble in Brazil, how the country is grappling with the overreach of US tech companies, and the wider discussion about tech policy in Brazil.
Laís Martins is a technology reporter at The Intercept Brasil.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Laís has reported on Rumble's fight against the Brazilian Supreme Court as well as the decisions the Brazilian government is making to welcome AI data centers.
- Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was spied on by US intelligence services.
- The Brazilian government has long used and supported open source software.
We All Suffer from OpenAI’s Pursuit of Scale w/ Karen Hao
Paris Marx is joined by Karen Hao to discuss how Sam Altman’s goal of scale at all costs has spawned a new empire founded on exploitation of people and the environment, resulting in not only the loss of valuable research into more inventive AI systems, but also exacerbated data privacy issues, intellectual property erosion, and the perpetuation of surveillance capitalism.
Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist and the author of Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Karen was the first journalist to profile OpenAI.
- Karen has reported on the environmental impacts and human costs of AI.
- The New York Times reported on Why We're Unlikely to Get Artificial General Intelligence Anytime Soon.
The New Military Industry Complex w/ Sam Biddle
Paris Marx is joined by Sam Biddle to discuss how Silicon Valley is shamelessly courting government military contracts, using tactics to silence employee dissent and normalize the situation to the public, and what it all means for the future of military geopolitics.
Sam Biddle is a senior technology reporter at The Intercept.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Sam wrote about how defense tech companies sought to capitalize on Trump’s return to office and OpenAI’s embrace of nationalism.
- Trae Stephens was interviewed by Wired last year, where he made his comments about the military industrial complex.
- Meta and Anduril teamed up to provide VR and AR devices to the US military.
- Trump’s US Army appointee won’t give up his Anduril stock.
- Palantir’s CEO wrote the Defense Reformation report and Andreessen Horowitz launched an American Dynamism division.
The Case for a Digital Detox w/ Casey Johnston
Paris Marx is joined by Casey Johnston to discuss why she pared back on social media, made her smartphone much dumber, and what she learned about how bodies are treated online through her fitness journey.
Casey Johnston is the creator of the She’s A Beast newsletter and author of A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Casey wrote about her DIY Dumbphone Method and reducing social media use.
- Facebook reportedly detected when teenage girls deleted photos so it could serve them beauty ads.
Generative AI is Not Inevitable w/ Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
Paris Marx is joined by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna to discuss the harms of generative AI, how the industry keeps the public invested while companies flounder under the weight of unmet promises, and what people can do to push back.
Emily M. Bender is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at University of Washington. Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Institute. They are the authors of The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- New York Magazine reported on the consequences of increasingly widespread use of ChatGPT in education.
Elon Musk is Remaking the US Space Program w/ Tim Fernholz
Paris Marx is joined by Tim Fernholz to discuss how Elon Musk’s influence in the White House is shaping the US Space Program, why he’s pushing NASA toward Mars instead of the Moon, and whether the Starship rocket is in trouble.
Tim Fernholz is a senior reporter at Payload Space and the author of Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Tim wrote about Donald Trump’s NASA budget and Jared Isaacman’s confirmation hearing.
- The Wall Street Journal wrote about Elon Musk’s plans to get NASA to refocus on Mars.
- Trump’s proposed budget aims to cut NASA’s science budget by 47% as part of a larger 24% cut to the agency’s top-line funding.
- SpaceX’s Starship rocket is running into serious problems.
The Roots of Elon Musk’s War On Empathy w/ Julia Carrie Wong
Paris Marx is joined by Julia Carrie Wong to discuss Elon Musk’s recent opposition to empathy, how it comes out of the Christian right, and the relationship it has to previous discussions of longtermism.
Julia Carrie Wong is a features writer at The Guardian.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Julia wrote about how the Christian right is reframing empathy as a threat to civilization. In 2017, she also interviewed Elon Musk about worker injuries at Tesla.
- In February, none other than Pope Francis pushed back on JD Vance’s use of a Christian theological concept to justify Trump’s inhumane immigration policies.
How Brainrot AI is Upending the Internet w/ Jason Koebler
Paris Marx is joined by Jason Koebler to discuss the economy behind AI slop generation, how people are building businesses on AI-generated images, and the wider consequences of their proliferation on social media.
Jason Koebler is a cofounder of 404 Media and cohost of the 404 Media Podcast.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jason wrote about how Brainrot AI is monetized on Instagram and the wider effects of AI slop on how we perceive reality.
- He also wrote about how whether the tech industry’s bet on Donald Trump is working out with Emanuel Maiberg.
How Masayoshi Son Shaped the Tech Industry w/ Laleh Khalili
Paris Marx is joined by Laleh Khalili to discuss Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, the structural factors that allowed him to build an empire, and the many ways he’s shaped the modern tech industry.
Laleh Khalili is Professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and the author of Sinews of War and Trade and her forthcoming book Extractive Capitalism.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Laleh wrote a review of a new book about Masa.
- She also mentioned The Box by Marc Levinson and The Next Shift by Gabriel Winant.
Digital Sovereignty in a Time of Rising Fascism
Paris Marx is doing a solo episode this week to bring together some important issues that have been on his mind lately. This is a recording of a talk Paris gave in Auckland, New Zealand on how Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump forces us to reassess the politics of the internet and challenge our collective dependence on US tech as it embraces the project of American empire.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris co-wrote a white paper on digital sovereignty and has written about the need to challenge US tech in response to Silicon Valley’s alliance with Trump.
- Paris also mentioned the EuroStack and British Digital Cooperative report.
- Dark Times Academy offers courses on a wide range of topics.
Can Europe End Its Dependence on US Tech? w/ Aline Blankertz
Paris Marx is joined by Aline Blankertz to discuss whether Europe is going to finally make a serious push to end its dependence on US tech and how different European interests are trying to take advantage of those debates.
Aline Blankertz is an economist working on digital policy. She currently works with Rebalance Now and was previously at Wikimedia Germany.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Aline published some thoughts on the push for tech sovereignty in Europe.
- Paris co-wrote a white paper on digital sovereignty last year and more recently argued the US needs to feel the consequences for its actions.
- If you want to apply to be the show’s producer, find more information here.
The Dirty Alliance Between Tech and the Oil Industry w/ JS Tan
Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss his experience seeing first hand how Microsoft deployed its cloud and machine learning services to help Chevron extract more oil and gas, and the state of tech worker organizing around climate change.
JS Tan is a PhD student at MIT, researching cloud computing in the US and China. He’s a a member of Collective Action in Tech and writes the Value Added newsletter.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read JS Tan’s “Oil Is the New Data” piece in Logic Magazine.
DOGE Is Gutting the US Digital Service w/ Kate Green and Milo
Paris Marx is joined by Kate Green and Milo to discuss how Elon Musk’s DOGE is dismantling the US Digital Service and the consequences that has on really improving service delivery in government.
Kate Green and Milo are former US Digital Service engineers.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Find out more about We The Builders and read perspectives of federal workers.
- USDS workers have resigned en masse from DOGE, and Musk’s agency has fired many of those who haven’t left.
- The General Services Administration has also cut the 18F technology team, and has been doing mass layoffs at the Technology Transformation Service.
Preview: Breaking Down Canada’s Election on Campaign Cops
Don’t worry; your regularly scheduled Tech Won’t Save Us is coming soon! But if you’re looking to try something a little different and get a critical take on the ongoing Canadian election, check out Campaign Cops, a special five-week series hosted by Paris Marx and Rachel Gilmore.
The first episode is here for you to try out, but if you want to keep listening, find future episodes on Rachel’s YouTube channel or her podcast feed on places like Apple or Spotify.
Canada’s Tech Leaders Want Their Own DOGE w/ Jen St. Denis
Paris Marx is joined by Jen St. Denis to discuss how Silicon Valley thinking is creeping into Canadian politics as Donald Trump continues to threaten the country with tariffs and annexation.
Jen St. Denis is a reporter with The Tyee.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jen wrote about the Canadian tech leaders who want their own DOGE and a BC-based Twitter/X account pushing white supremacism.
- Paris wrote about the effort to expand DOGE beyond US borders and the conservative-tech alliance in Canada.
- A recent poll found 51% of Canadians now see the United States as an enemy or potential threat.
AI Hype Enters Its Geopolitics Era w/ Timnit Gebru
Paris Marx is joined by Timnit Gebru to discuss where the AI industry stands in 2025 as AI increasingly becomes a geopolitical football even as the big promises made by AI companies fail to materialize.
Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Timnit wrote about the TESCREAL bundle of ideologies with Émile Torres.
- The Data Workers’ Inquiry allowed data workers to share their experiences in their workplaces.
The UK’s Misguided Embrace of AI Hype w/ James Meadway
Paris Marx is joined by James Meadway to discuss how the UK Labour Party is embracing AI regardless of the cost and the consequences of allowing US companies to dominate the digital economy in so many other countries.
James Meadway is an economist and the host of Macrodose.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- James wrote about the UK Labour Party’s obsession with growth.
- Last year, Google warned the UK government it would get left behind on AI if it didn’t weaken copyright rules and build more data centers.
Protesting Tesla Can Hurt Elon Musk w/ Ed Niedermeyer
Paris Marx is joined by Ed Niedermeyer to discuss the trouble with Tesla’s business model and how that makes Elon Musk’s power vulnerable to protest and boycott.
Ed Niedermeyer is the author Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and a co-host of the Autonocast.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Find a Tesla Takedown protest in your area.
How DOGE is Remaking the US Government w/ Makena Kelly
Paris Marx is joined by Makena Kelly to discuss how Elon Musk’s DOGE is reshaping the US government and the consequences that has for government employees and the wider public.
Makena Kelly is a senior writer at WIRED and writes the weekly Politics Lab newsletter.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Makena wrote about how DOGE is replacing government IT roles and also the COBOL Cowboys back in 2020.
Patreon Preview: The Harms of Generative AI w/ Alex Hanna
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Alex Hanna, the Director of Research at the Distributed AI Institute. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
The Tech Oligarchy’s Campaign Against the Media w/ Eoin Higgins
Paris Marx is joined by Eoin Higgins to discuss how tech billionaires set out to change the media ecosystem and made it profitable for influential voices to shift to the political right.
Eoin Higgins is a journalist and the author of Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read an excerpt of Eoin’s book on LitHub.
- Last year, Peter Thiel bragged to Ann Coulter about killing Gawker.
- Rick Perlstein wrote about the time he met Marc Andreessen.
Patreon Preview: Sam Altman’s Self-Serving AGI Future w/ Julia Black
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Julia Black, a reporter on The Information’s Weekend Team. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
How Spotify Remade the Music Industry w/ Liz Pelly
Paris Marx is joined by Liz Pelly to discuss how Spotify changes how we listen to music and the broader impacts it has on the wider music industry.
Liz Pelly is a music journalist and the author of Mood Machine.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can read an excerpt of Liz’s book in Harper’s.
- The CEO of Suno AI said people “don’t enjoy” making music.
The Problem With Cyberlibertarianism w/ Chris Gilliard
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss David Golumbia's final book Cyberlibertarianism and how right-wing politics shaped how we think about the internet.
Chris Gilliard is co-director of the Critical Internet Studies Institute and author of the forthcoming book Luxury Surveillance, coming in 2026.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- David Golumbia wrote an essay called “ChatGPT Should Not Exist” in December 2022.
- Matt Bors drew a comic called “You made become a Nazi!”
- Cyberlibertarianism is out now from the University of Minnesota Press.
Patreon Preview: Do We Live in a Simulation? w/ Émile P. Torres
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Émile P. Torres, a postdoctoral researcher at Case Western University. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
The New Tech Oligarchy w/ Gaby Del Valle
Paris Marx is joined by Gaby Del Valle to discuss the inauguration of Donald Trump and what the tech oligarchy hopes to get from their relationship with him.
Gaby Del Valle is a policy reporter at The Verge and is working on a book on ecofascism that will be released by Bloomsbury in 2026.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Gaby wrote about Elon Musk’s plans for DOGE and the eugenic ideas in Silicon Valley.
- The Guardian published an opinion piece titled, “I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers.”
- Tesla applied for more H-1B visas as it was laying off thousands of workers.
Patreon Preview: The Fascistic Solutionism of AI w/ Dan McQuillan
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Dan McQuillan, author of Resisting AI and a lecturer at Goldsmiths University of London. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
How to See Tech Like a Luddite w/ Jathan Sadowski
Paris Marx is joined by Jathan Sadowski to discuss the relationship between technology and capitalism, and what lessons can be taken from the Luddites to properly assess and understand these systems.
Jathan Sadowski is is the author of The Mechanic and the Luddite: A Ruthless Criticism of Technology and Capitalism. He’s also the co-host of This Machine Kills and a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jathan wrote about AI and the Tinkerbell Effect in Futurism.
Patreon Preview: How Big Tech Made the Cloud w/ Dwayne Monroe
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Dwayne Monroe, a senior cloud architect and longtime consultant these kinds of projects. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
What Netflix Has Done to Movies w/ Will Tavlin
Paris Marx is joined by Will Tavlin to discuss how the Netflix model transformed film into the Typical Netflix Movie and how the company uses claims about data to deceive the public.
Will Tavlin is a New York-based writer who has written for n+1, Bookforum, and the Columbia Journalism Review.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Will wrote about Netflix and the Typical Netflix Movie for n+1.
How Cloud Giants Cement Their Power w/ Cecilia Rikap
Paris Marx is joined by Cecilia Rikap to discuss the ways Amazon, Microsoft, and Google gain power from companies becoming dependent on their cloud services and how generative AI exacerbates that problem.
Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor in Economics at University College London.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris and Cecilia were co-authors on the “Reclaiming digital sovereignty” white paper.
- Cecilia wrote a report called “Dynamics of Corporate Governance Beyond Ownership in AI.”
Maybe We Should Destroy AI w/ Ali Alkhatib
Paris Marx is joined by Ali Alkhatib to discuss the difficulty of holding the AI industry accountable and why sometimes it makes sense for people to destroy AI systems that are harming them.
Ali Alkhatib works with Logic(s) magazine and was previously the director of the Center for Applied Data Ethics.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ali wrote a blog post called “Destroy AI.”
The Year in Tech w/ Molly White, Brian Merchant, & Eric Wickham
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White, Brian Merchant, and Eric Wickham to discuss the highs and lows (mostly lows) of this year in tech news.
Molly White is the creator of Web3 is Going Just Great and Follow the Crypto. Brian Merchant is my co-host on System Crash, a new podcast we’re hosting. He’s also a longtime tech journalist and author of Blood in the Machine. Eric Wickham is the producer for Tech Won’t Save Us, along with a bunch of other podcast, and an independent journalist.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly joined Brian and Paris on System Crash.
- Peter Thiel made some dumb remarks about Luigi Mangione on the Piers Morgan show while looking very shiny.
- Apple sold fewer than half a million Vision Pro headsets this year.
How Data Is Changing Air Travel w/ Amanda Mull
Paris Marx is joined by Amanda Mull to discuss the data-informed decisions that are changing the way we all experience air travel, mostly for the worse.
Amanda Mull is a senior reporter and Buying Power columnist at Bloomberg Businessweek.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Amanda wrote about the changing flying experience for Bloomberg and the big investments being made in airport lounges for The Atlantic.
- Legacy airlines are taking budget customers with the ultracheap fares.
- In the US, budget airlines are beginning to offer premium seats and other amenities to attract more premium customers.
Patreon Preview: Spain Doesn’t Have Water for Data Centers w/ Aurora Gomez Delgado
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Aurora Gomez Delgado of Tu Nube Seca Mi Río. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
Should Australia Ban Teens from Social Media? w/ Cam Wilson
Paris Marx is joined by Cam Wilson to discuss Australia’s plan to ban under-16s from social media, the interests driving it, and whether it’s the right approach to tackle the harms of those platforms.
Cam Wilson is associate editor at Crikey.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Cam wrote about the under-16 social media ban for Crikey.
Patreon Preview: The Crippling Energy Demand of Ireland’s Data Centers w/ Brid Smith
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Brid Smith, a former TD or Member of Parliament in the Irish Parliament in Dublin. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
Patreon Preview: Fighting Data Centers in Chile w/ Sebastian Lehuede
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Sebastian Lehuede, a lecturer at King’s College London. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
Nuclear Won’t Meet Tech’s Energy Demands w/ MV Ramana
Paris Marx is joined by MV Ramana to discuss the tech industry’s push to have nuclear energy power its data centers and why the reality of nuclear power isn’t as great as its promoters often make it seem.
MV Ramana is a Professor and Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Nuclear Is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Langdon Winner wrote The Whale and the Reactor and Do Artifacts Have Politics?. Timothy Mitchell wrote Carbon Democracy.
- Microsoft made an agreement to try to restart Three Mile Island, but it’s not a done deal yet.
- Data centers are fueling fossil fuel use, despite claims about nuclear and renewables.
- Leaked documents in October confirmed Israel has nuclear weapons.
The Forgotten Story of How Conservatives Shaped the Internet w/ Becca Lewis
Paris Marx is joined by Becca Lewis to discuss the right-wing project to shape the internet in the 1990s and how we’re still living with the legacies of those actions today.
Becca Lewis is a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about Marc Andreessen mentioning the Italian Futurists in his Techno-Optimist Manifesto.
- Ruth Eveleth wrote about the Italian Futurists in the context of Silicon Valley.
- In 1995, Wired published a story on how “America’s futurist politicians” Al Gore and Newt Gingrich were in an epic struggle to shape the internet.
- Becca mentioned the work of Nicole Hemmer and Patricia Aufderheide.
Patreon Preview: How Cloud Giants Cement Their Power w/ Cecilia Rikap
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. We’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Cecilia Rikap, an Associate Professor in Economics at University College London. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
Making Sense of a Pro-Tech Trump Presidency w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the fallout from the US election, what it means for the tech industry, and more importantly, what it might mean for all of us. They also celebrate the show hitting 250 episodes!
Brian Merchant is a longtime tech writer and author of Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Brian wrote about the results of the election on his newsletter.
- Paris wrote about why we need to remember who enabled Elon Musk to obtain his power.
- There are already reports of advertisers returning to Twitter/X to gain favor with Musk and Trump.
- OpenAI is moving away from its original non-profit status.
- Uber chief legal officer Tony West told Kamala Harris to stop attacking big business.
Patreon Preview: Maybe We Should Destroy AI w/ Ali Alkhatib
Our Data Vampires series may be over, but Paris interviewed a bunch of experts on data centers and AI whose insights shouldn’t go to waste. Starting this week, we’re releasing those interviews as bonus episodes for Patreon supporters. Here’s a preview of this week’s premium episode with Ali Alkhatib, Logic(s) data editor and former interim director of the Center for Applied Data Ethics. For the full interview, support the show on Patreon.
The Corruption of Open Source w/ tante
Paris Marx is joined by tante to discuss troubling developments in the open source world as Wordpress goes to war with WP Engine and a new definition of open source AI doesn’t require being open about training data.
tante is a sociotechnologist, writer, speaker, and Luddite working on tech and its social impact.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- tante wrote about the problem with the Open Source Initiative’s definition of open source AI.
- Check out this link for the full breakdown on the Wordpress drama.
- Wordpress changed its trademark guidelines on September 19 regarding the use of the WP abbreviation.
- Tumblr and Wordpress started selling user data for AI training earlier this year.
- A lot of the controversy around Richard Stallman started blowing up in 2019.
Silicon Valley is Reshaping US Democracy w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss all the money Elon Musk is pouring into the US election and what Silicon Valley’s political influence will mean regardless of who becomes president.
Jacob Silverman is the author of Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley, coming in September 2025 from Bloomsbury. His book Easy Money is now available in paperback.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The New York Times reported on Elon Musk’s efforts to get Trump elected in the final two weeks of the campaign.
- The Pennsylvania district attorney sued Elon Musk’s PAC to stop his $1 million giveaways.
- Marc Andreessen wrote the Techno-Optimist Manifesto and the Little Tech Agenda.
- FTX was up to way more shady things that didn’t make it into the first trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. The second didn’t go ahead after he was found guilty in the first.
- The canvassing operation for Trump by Elon Musk's PAC has been flagged as potentially fraudulent.
- The US Supreme Court’s Chevron decision will have significant consequences for federal regulators.
Data Vampires: Fighting for Control (Episode 4)
Tech billionaires are embracing extreme right-wing politics. It’s not just to enhance their power, but to try to realize a harmful vision for humanity’s future that could see humans merging with machines and possibly even living in computer simulations. Will we allow them to put our collective resources behind their science fiction dreams, or fight for a better future and a different kind of technology to go along with it? This is episode 4 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Postdoctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University Émile P. Torres, features reporter at The Information Julia Black, Goldsmiths University lecturer Dan McQuillan, and former head of the Center for Applied Data Ethics Ali Alkhatib were interviewed for this episode.
- Pieces by Sam Altman, Marc Andreessen, and an interview with Elon Musk were cited.
The Threat of Data Colonialism w/ Ulises A. Mejias & Nick Couldry
Paris Marx is joined by Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry to discuss how Silicon Valley's extractive data collection regime and the power it grants them resembles a much older form of exploitation: colonialism.
Ulises A. Mejias is a professor of Communication Studies at SUNY Oswego and Nick Couldry is a professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory at the London School of Economics. They are the co-authors of Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back and among the co-founders of the network Tierra Común.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read an excerpt of Ulises and Nick’s book.
- Ulises has helped advance the Non-Aligned Technologies Movement.
- The World Economic Forum and Accenture published a report on governance of AI.
- Geoffrey Hinton was one of the winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics. Paris wrote about why we shouldn’t trust his assessment of AI.
- Google told the UK Labour government it will be left behind in the AI race if it doesn’t do what the company demands.
- Data centers use 21% of electricity in Ireland, and number that could jump to 31% within the next three years.
- Home building in West London could be restricted until 2035 because data centers have used up the available energy.
- Kenya is being drafted into the US’s anti-China tech alliance, which includes building data centers while ignoring the poor working conditions of data labelers and content moderators.
Data Vampires: Sacrificing for AI (Episode 3)
Sam Altman is clear: he’s ready to sacrifice anything for his AI fantasies. But are we? We dig into why generative AI has such extreme energy demands and how major tech companies are trying to rewrite climate accounting rules to cover how much their emissions are rising. AI isn’t just churning out visual slop; it’s also being used to transform how our society works and further reduce people’s power over their lives. It’s a disaster any way you look at it. This is episode 3 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Hugging Face Climate Lead Sasha Luccioni, Associate Professor in Economics Cecilia Rikap, former head of the Center for Applied Data Ethics Ali Alkhatib, Goldsmiths University lecturer Dan McQuillan, and Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute Alex Hanna were interviewed for this episode.
- Interviews with Sam Altman and Brad Smith were cited.
The “Dark Elf” Leading Tech’s Extreme Right w/ Julia Black
Paris Marx is joined by Julia Black to discuss who Curtis Yarvin is and how his anti-democratic, far-right writings have influenced the politics of Silicon Valley and the wider American extreme right.
Julia Black is a features reporter on The Information’s Weekend Team.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Julia wrote about Curtis Yarvin and his ideas for The Information. She also wrote about the Musk-aligned tech CEOs trying to shape how we think about the future.
- Paris wrote about Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto.
- The Dark Enlightenment is an anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian political project.
- Gil Duran wrote about the Reboot Conference and how it put the connections between the tech industry and the Heritage Foundation on display.
- The Heritage Foundation is flooding federal agencies with thousands of information requests to identify government employees to be purged under a second Trump administration.
- Peter Thiel wanted Balaji Srinivasan to become head of the Federal Drug Administration under the Trump presidency.
- According to Nick Land, hyperstition refers to ideas that bring themselves into being.
Data Vampires: Opposing Data Centers (Episode 2)
As hyperscale data centers move into communities, they come with significant water and energy demands that some are not willing to put up with. We go to Ireland, Spain, and Chile to learn about the effects of data centers on the ground and why some communities are fighting back. They’re asking whether the tradeoffs they’re being expected to make are really necessary. This is episode 2 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- People Before Profit TD Brid Smith, Tu Nube Seca Mi Río organizer Aurora Gomez Delgado, and King’s College London lecturer Sebastian Lehuede were interviewed for this episode.
- Some pieces by Dara Kerr in NPR, Sarah Emerson and Emily Baker-White in Forbes, and Hannah Daly in The Irish Times were cited.
- A full transcript can be found on the show’s official website.
Gaza Is a Laboratory for Future Warfare w/ Spencer Ackerman
Paris Marx is joined by Spencer Ackerman to discuss the past year of Israel's actions in Palestine and the innovations in war technology being used to carry out what the ICJ has deemed a "plausible" genocide in Gaza.
Spencer Ackerman is a Pulitzer-prize winning author of Reign of Terror. He’s a contributor at Zeteo and publishes the Forever Wars newsletter. He’s also writing a new series of Iron Man comics that come out very soon.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Spencer wrote a piece marking a year since October 7 for Zeteo. He’s also written about the Lebanon pager attack and Israel’s innovation with quadcopters.
- Yuval Abraham has written about the use of AI in Gaza and how Israel is relying on US cloud companies for military purposes.
- Roberto González wrote a paper about the links between Silicon Valley and the military-industrial complex.
Data Vampires: Going Hyperscale (Episode 1)
Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are the dominant players in the cloud market. Around the world, they’re building massive hyperscale data centers that they claim are necessary to power the future of our digital existence. But they also increase their power over other companies and come with massive resource demands communities are getting fed up with. Is their future really the one we want? This is episode 1 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Senior cloud consultant Dwayne Monroe and Associate Professor in Economics Cecilia Rikap were interviewed for this episode.
- Interviews with Jeff Bezos and The Oregonian journalist Mike Rogoway were cited.
Don’t Fall for Mark Zuckerberg’s Rebrand w/ Karl Bode
Paris Marx is joined by Karl Bode to discuss how Mark Zuckerberg's makeover and the PR campaign that’s accompanied it shouldn’t distract from the ongoing harms of his company.
Karl Bode is a freelance tech journalist and consumer rights reporter.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the problem with the “Zuckessance” for Disconnect.
- The New York Times published an article about the political evolution of Mark Zuckerberg.
- Facebook’s Free Basics was widely called out for being a form of digital colonialism.
- Joel Kaplan was a key figure within Facebook defending right-wing content from effective moderation.
- Neil Postman wrote the book Amusing Ourselves to Death in 1985.
What Happens to Our Digital Footprints When We Die? w/ Tamara Kneese
Paris Marx is joined by Tamara Kneese to discuss the difficult question of what happens to our digital presence after we die and why some tech billionaires are so desperate to make themselves into chatbots.
Tamara Kneese is a researcher, organizer, and author of Death Glitch: How Techno-Solutionism Fails Us in This Life and Beyond.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Tamara wrote some pieces on AI and death for Wired and The Baffler.
Will Google’s Monopoly Be Broken Up? w/ Rob Larson
Paris Marx is joined by Rob Larson to discuss the recent ruling that Google is a monopolist, what consequences it might face, and what lessons we can learn from the Microsoft antitrust case in the early 2000s.
Rob Larson is the author of Mastering the Universe: The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class, What They Do with Their Money, and Why You Should Hate Them Even More and Professor of Economics at Tacoma Community College.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Rob has written about the Google antitrust case and its likely outcomes.
- Paris also wrote about why it won’t solve the problems with the internet.
- Watch a highlight reel of Bill Gates' deposition on YouTube.
- Google has been deemed to have an illegal monopoly in online search.
- A second trial over Google’s monopolistic position in the online ads market is ongoing.
- The Obama administration let Google off the hook a decade ago.
- Some tech billionaire donors are pushing Kamala Harris to remove Lina Khan as head of the Federal Trade Commission if she becomes president.
Google and Meta Are A Threat to Journalism w/ Matt Pearce
Paris Marx is joined by Matt Pearce to discuss how Google sidestepped two California bills aimed at funding journalism and how major tech companies are transforming the web to make hyperlinks less relevant.
Matt Pearce is the President of Media Guild of the West and a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Matt wrote about the disingenuous arguments against the California Journalism Preservation Act and the changing nature of hyperlinks online.
- Google sidestepped the two California bills to carve out a separate deal that includes funding for an AI initiative.
- When you compare per capita public broadcast funding across wealthy nations, Canada is near the bottom, but the United States is barely on the chart.
- Google will distribute $100 million to news publishers in Canada after a bargaining process there.
- Digital media companies have been doing layoffs and shutting down in droves.
- The New York Times used AI to assist in identifying the deadly weapons Israel is using against the people of Gaza.
- The Media Ecosystem Observatory looked at the effects of Meta's news ban on its platforms in Canada.
Unionizing the Video Game Industry w/ Taylor Welling & Kathryn Friesen
Paris Marx is joined by Taylor Welling and Kathryn Friesen to discuss how they formed wall-to-wall unions in the video game industry and their thoughts on broader challenges like layoffs and corporate consolidation.
Taylor Welling is a producer and union member at OneBGS and Kathryn Friesen is quest designer and member of the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- OneBGS and the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild each won their union votes in July 2024.
- More video game workers have already been laid off in 2024 than did in all of 2023.
- Microsoft and the Communication Workers of America signed a labor neutrality agreement in 2022, to take effect 60 days after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard closed. In May, that agreement was extended to ZeniMax Studios.
- Microsoft laid off 1,900 gaming workers in January and closed four internal studios in May.
- Blizzard provides swords, shields, and helmets to employees celebrating 5, 10, and 20 years at the company.
- The ZeniMax Workers Union struck an agreement with their employer on the use of AI.
- Nicole Carpenter at Polygon put together a list of video game unions and an explainer on the rise of video game unions.
- Communication Workers of America has more information on unionizing as part of their CODE-CWA campaign.
No Tech for Apartheid w/ Mohammad Khatami & Gabi Schubiner
Paris Marx is joined by Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner to discuss the complicity of Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and how tech workers are organizing to stop it.
Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner are former Google software engineers and organizers with No Tech for Apartheid.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Find out more about No Tech for Apartheid from their website. Microsoft workers have also launched No Azure for Apartheid.
- Yuval Abraham reported on the Israeli military’s use of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft’s cloud services and AI in Gaza.
- Mohammad wrote about being fired by Google in The New Arab.
- Gabi refers to JWCC, with is a reference to the Department of Defense Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle.
- Google fired 50 workers earlier this year for organizing over its ties to Israel.
- The Information reported on how many Arab Americans in tech are scared to speak out in support of Palestinians for fear of retaliation.
- In 1970, Polaroid workers under the banner of the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement began the first anti-apartheid boycott of a US company by organizing against their employer’s complicity in South African apartheid.
- The IBM Black Workers Alliance was central to the anti-apartheid campaign at that company.
Crypto Is Spending Millions to Sway the US Election w/ Molly White
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss why the crypto industry is spending millions on this election cycle and Coinbase’s potential breach of election finance law.
Molly White writes the Citation Needed newsletter. She is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great and Follow the Crypto.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly wrote about the Coinbase campaign finance violation and Donald Trump’s Bitcoin conference speech in her newsletter.
- Paris wrote about some of the concerns about Kamala Harris’ stance on tech.
- Fairshake spent $10 million on attacks ads against Katie Porter in California. It spent millions more targeting Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.
- The crypto industry hates SEC head Gary Gensler, who is leading the regulatory effort against cryptocurrency.
Is Social Media Fueling Far-Right Riots? w/ Hussein Kesvani
Paris Marx is joined by Hussein Kesvani to discuss the far-right attacks that happened after the Southport stabbing in the UK and how larger structural issues in media, politics, and tech laid the groundwork for violence against visible minorities.
Hussein Kesvani is a co-host of Trashfuture and Ten Thousand Posts.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The stabbing in Southport resulted in the deaths of three children and injuries to eight children and two adults.
- After days of far-right attacks, there were large anti-fascist and anti-racist demonstrations across the UK.
- Some fascists attacked hotels housing asylum seekers, but in places like Bristol, locals started defending the hotels.
- In 1968, Conservative MP Enoch Powell delivered the “rivers of blood” speech.
- Elon Musk has been sharing a series of incendiary posts and false information that have helped fuel these attacks.
- The billionaire’s changes to Twitter have helped fuel right-wing misinformation.
Shopify’s Right-Wing Inner Circle w/ Luke LeBrun & Rachel Gilmore
Paris Marx is joined by Luke LeBrun and Rachel Gilmore to discuss Shopify's connection to right-wing politics, through its interpersonal connection to a far-right news outlet and its reluctance to enforce its content policy on users selling hateful merchandise through their platform.
Luke LeBrun is the editor of PressProgress and Rachel Gilmore is an independent journalist.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Luke reported on Shopify COO Kaz Nejatian’s involvement in and funding of a right-wing Canadian “news” website called True North.
- Rachel reported on Shopify’s decisions not to disable support for stores that sell fraudulent goods and promote hate that’s in violation of their Acceptable Use Policy. She recently pointed out a series of stores Shopify still supports that sell Nazi memorabilia.
- Last year, an anonymous former Shopify worker spoke out about the right-wing culture at the company. Rachel confirmed the person had worked for Shopify.
- In 2022, Tobi Lutke was granted a “founder’s share,” guaranteeing him 40% voting power. 46% of shareholders voted against the proposal.
- Shopify found itself in the spotlight in 2021 when employees found a noose emoji had been added to the company’s Slack system.
- Shopify President Harley Finkelstein has been publicly opposing plans to raise taxes on capital gains. Only 0.13% of Canadians will be paying more tax under the plan.
- Some right-wing figures in Canada deny the truth of the residential schools.
Escaping the Processed World w/ Chris Carlsson
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Carlsson to discuss Processed World, a tech-critical, anti-capitalist magazine that satirized the absurdity of work in its publishing run between 1981 and 2005.
Chris Carlsson is the author of many books, including most recently When Shells Crumble. He’s the director of Shaping SF and a cofounder of Critical Mass. He was also one of the people behind Processed World.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can find the full archive of Processed World on the Internet Archive.
- Chris wrote about his experience making Processed World in Notes from Below.
- Jacob Silverman wrote a great piece on the legacy of Processed World for The Baffler.
Silicon Valley is Backing Donald Trump w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss why tech billionaires have become more supportive of Donald Trump in the upcoming US election and whether Kamala Harris’ candidacy will disrupt their plans.
Jacob Silverman is the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud and is working on a new book called Gilded Rage that is scheduled for Fall 2025.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about Silicon Valley’s embrace of Trump for The Nation.
- Paris wrote about what Silicon Valley wants from Trump in Disconnect.
- Molly White’s new project is called Follow the Crypto.
- Elon Musk is reportedly committing $45 million a month to a pro-Trump Super PAC.
- Mark Zuckerberg called Trump a badass, while saying he won’t endorse any candidate.
- Eric Schmidt is pushing the Pentagon’s embrace of AI for war.
- Peter Thiel says he’d vote for Trump this cycle if there was a gun to his head.
- Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz wrote a Little Tech Agenda containing a basic policy program.
- Reid Hoffman funded a disinformation campaign in Alabama.
- Reed Hastings has already put $7 million into a pro-Kamala Super PAC.
Generative AI is a Climate Disaster w/ Sasha Luccioni
Paris Marx is joined by Sasha Luccioni to discuss the catastrophic environmental costs of the generative AI being increasing shoved into every tech product we touch.
Sasha Luccioni is an artificial intelligence researcher and Climate Lead at Hugging Face.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Sasha published a paper looking at the climate impacts of generative AI.
- Paris wrote about the increased emissions at Google and Microsoft, and the consequences of the growing data center buildout.
- Google’s emissions are up 48% in five years, while Microsoft’s are up 30% between 2020 and 2023.
- Bill Gates is telling governments not to “go overboard” with concerns about AI energy use. He’s been much more active in Microsoft’s AI strategizing than he’s admitted publicly.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith says its carbon “moonshot” is much farther away because of generative AI. The company is accelerating its data center construction plans.
- Sam Altman says we can geoengineer the planet if we can’t develop an energy breakthrough to power AI.
Jack Dorsey’s Embrace of Crypto-Libertarianism w/ David Gerard
Paris Marx is joined by David Gerard to discuss Jack Dorsey’s decision to leave Bluesky, his obsession with Bitcoin, and his contributions (or lack thereof) to modern technology.
David Gerard is the author of Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain and Libra Shrugged. He also makes Pivot to AI with Amy Castor.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- David wrote about Jack Dorsey abandoning Bluesky on his blog.
- Business Insider reported on how Dorsey gave money to the far-right founder of Nostr.
- Dorsey was interviewed by Mike Solana on Pirate Wires.
- Dorsey has posted in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the response to it is why he deleted his Bluesky account.
Facebook Is the Zombie Internet w/ Jason Koebler
Paris Marx is joined by Jason Koebler to discuss the AI-generated spam filling Facebook, how the platform seems to have given up trying to stop it, and where the internet goes from here.
Jason Koebler is the co-host of the 404 Media Podcast.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jason wrote about his theory of the zombie internet and what he’s been seeing on Facebook.
- Back in 2018, Motherboard reported on the rules Facebook gave its content moderators.
- Users of Facebook Free Basics and Wikipedia Zero in Angola found out how to make their own video streaming service for free.
How Degrowth Will Reshape Technology w/ Jason Hickel
Paris Marx is joined by Jason Hickel to discuss how technology would change in a degrowth society and why it doesn’t make sense to organize society around profit and infinite expansion.
Jason Hickel is the author of Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World. He’s also a Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jason wrote about technology and degrowth and the objectives of democratic ecosocialism for Monthly Review.
Can Europe Chart Its Own Path on Tech? w/ tante
Paris Marx is joined by tante to discuss why it’s hard for Europe to challenge the US and China on tech and why we should change how we think about innovation.
tante is a writer, speaker, and Luddite working on tech and its social impact.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- tante spoke about innovation at re:publica 2024.
- Paris also gave a presentation on data centers.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote an op-ed about shared priorities in the Financial Times.
- Sam Altman successfully lobbied to water down the EU’s AI Act.
Silicon Valley is Courting Gulf Monarchies to Fund AI w/ Nitasha Tiku
Paris Marx is joined by Nitasha Tiku to discuss how US tech companies are flocking to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fund their expensive AI ambitions.
Nitasha Tiku is a tech culture reporter at the Washington Post.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read the pieces Nitasha contributed to on Silicon Valley getting funding from Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and its embrace of the US military.
- Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018. There’s still be no accountability.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman met with many Silicon Valley CEOs months before Khashoggi’s murder.
- The United Arab Emirates launched its own AI strategy in 2018.
- The UAE also put Pegasus spyware on the phone of Khashoggi’s wife months before his murder.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was photographed signing a woman’s chest on June 4.
- Many Arab Americans in Silicon Valley have reported being scared to speak out in support of Palestinians for fear of retaliation.
How the FBI Tapped the Encrypted Chats of Criminals Around the World w/ Joseph Cox
Paris Marx is joined by Joseph Cox to discuss how the FBI created an encrypted phone company called Anom to read criminals’ messages and eventually carry out the largest international sting operation by law enforcement.
Joseph Cox is the author of Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever and the host of the 404 Media Podcast.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read an excerpt of Dark Wire at Wired.
- Joseph wrote about the revelation that Lithuania hosted the Anom interception server and provided the intercepted messages to the FBI.
GoFundMe Profits from People’s Pain w/ Nora Kenworthy
Paris Marx is joined by Nora Kenworthy to discuss how people rely on GoFundMe to access healthcare and the further inequities that adds to an already deeply unequal healthcare system.
Nora Kenworthy is the author of Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare and an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Washington Bothell.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Nora is doing an online event with the Debt Collective on June 13.
- GoFundMe bought many of its competitors through the 2010s.
- In 2020, GoFundMe posted in a campaign it set up in response to Covid: “We’re in a growth industry: pain.”
Tech’s Plan to ‘Ethnically Cleanse’ San Francisco w/ Gil Duran
Paris Marx is joined by Gil Duran to discuss Balaji Srinivasan’s plan to implement “tech Zionism” in San Francisco and the threat posed by Silicon Valley's growing opposition to democracy.
Gil Duran is an independent journalist and former editorial page editor for the Sacramento Bee.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Gil has written about Balaji’s Network State, Garry Tan of Y Combinator, and the plan to build a tech city in Northern California.
- Paris wrote about Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto.
- Peter Thiel no longer feels “freedom and democracy are compatible.”
- Elon Musk claimed he sent ventilators to hospitals. They received biPAP and CPAP machines.
- Gil mentioned Quinn Slobodian’s “Crack Up Capitalism.”
How BYD is Upending the EV Market w/ Paolo Gerbaudo
Paris Marx is joined by Paolo Gerbaudo to discuss how Chinese electric car maker BYD operates, its growing international success against Tesla, and whether it will be able to move into the North American market.
Paolo Gerbaudo is the author of The Digital Party and The Great Recoil. He’s a senior research fellow at the Department of Political History, Theories and Geography of Complutense University in Madrid.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paolo analyzed the business model of BYD in Phenomenal World.
- The New York Times wrote an in-depth piece on BYD back in February.
- Foreign Affairs published an article on the success of the Chinese tech industry in the face of US dominance.
- After recording, the United States announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles.
- In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan put quotas on Japanese car imports, making them more expensive to US consumers to help domestic automakers like GM and Ford.
- BYD is increasingly challenging on Tesla’s position as top seller of electric vehicles.
Tesla is Choosing Hype Over Substance w/ Edward Niedermeyer
Paris Marx is joined by Ed Niedermeyer to discuss Tesla's stagnation as an electric vehicle manufacturer and what that could mean for its future as competitors cut into their market share.
Ed Niedermeyer is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and co-host of the Autonocast.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the problems facing Tesla, written before Musk began the mass layoffs.
- Ed wrote at the end of last year about the lies that underpinned Tesla’s story being exposed.
- The Cybertruck is facing significant manufacturing issues in Austin, and recently they all had to be recalled for issues with the accelerator pedal, which caused the company to reveal that only 3,878 vehicles had been delivered to customers.
- Tesla is laying off a large number of staff, including the Supercharger and new vehicle teams.
- Elon Musk is doing mass layoffs to reestablish his power over the company, but it’s destabilizing the actual business.
- Reuters reported that Musk cancelled plans for a low-cost car in favor of robotaxis.
- Automakers were warning they couldn’t phase out Chinese minerals from the battery supply chain by 2025. After recording, the Biden administration announced some rules would be delayed until 2027.
- BYD has been looking to build a factory in Mexico.
How SHEIN Took Over Fast Fashion w/ Nicole Lipman
Paris Marx is joined by Nicole Lipman to discuss SHEIN’s rise to the top of the fast fashion industry and how it exacerbates the sector’s labor and environment problems.
Nicole Lipman is a writer and assistant editor at n+1.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Nicole did a deep dive into SHEIN and how it operates for n+1.
- Paris wrote about the Shut Down Shein campaign.
- Amazon benefits immensely from the US de minimis rule.
- Ten years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, many problems remain.
The Religious Foundations of Transhumanism w/ Meghan O’Gieblyn
Paris Marx is joined by Meghan O’Gieblyn to discuss parallels between transhumanism and Christian narratives of resurrection, despite the fact many transhumanists identify as staunch atheists.
Meghan O’Gieblyn is an advice columnist at Wired and the author of God, Human, Animal, Machine.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Meghan wrote about transhumanism and religion for n+1.
- Paris wrote about the religion of techno-optimism in Disconnect.
- Amy Kurzweil wrote about her father’s chatbot of his own father.
- In China, AI “deathbots” are being used to help people grieve.
- Richard Dawkins now identifies as a “cultural Christian” (not Catholic, as Paris mistakenly said in the episode).
How Sports Betting Is Fueling Gambling Addiction w/ Alex Shephard
Paris Marx is joined by Alex Shephard to discuss the legalization of sports betting in the United States, the growing influence of gambling in professional sports, and its negative impact on the lives of sports fans.
Alex Shephard is a senior editor at The New Republic.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Alex wrote about sports gambling for The New Republic.
- The Wall Street Journal recent explored the wider backlash to sports betting in light of the Shohei Ohtani scandal.
- Last year, the New York Times gutted its unionized sports section to replace it with non-union writers at The Athletic.
- Psychologist Meredith K. Ginley explained how sports betting apps hook people on regular gambling.
Kara Swisher Shows Tech Journalism’s Flaws w/ Edward Ongweso Jr.
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss Kara Swisher’s attempt to rebrand herself as the most feared journalist in Silicon Valley, how she spent her career forwarding the industry’s narratives, and the larger problems with access journalism.
Edward Ongweso Jr. is finance editor at Logics Magazine and co-host of This Machine Kills.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ed wrote a critical review of Burn Book in The Baffler.
- In Disconnect, Paris also wrote a critical review of Swisher’s book and explained his journey to becoming a tech critic.
- In 2021, Kara told CNBC that just because NFTs are digital “doesn’t mean it’s not of value.” The following year she also defended promoting investments in crypto for retirement.
Deepfake Abuse is a Crisis w/ Kat Tenbarge
Paris Marx is joined by Kat Tenbarge to discuss the proliferation of AI-generated, non-consensual sexual images, their impact on the victims, and the potential fallout for tech companies who helped make it all possible. Note there is some discussion of self-harm and suicide in this episode.
Kat Tenbarge is a tech and culture writer at NBC News.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kat has reported extensively on this issue, including stories about fake nude images of underage celebrities toping search engine results, nonconsensual deepfake porn showing up on Google and Bing too, Visa and Mastercard being used to fund the deepfake economy, and why plans for watermarking aren’t enough.
- Another Body is a documentary that looks at the scale of the problem of non-consensual deepfake explicit images.
- Microsoft’s Designer AI tool was used to create AI porn of Taylor Swift.
- Middle and high schools in Seattle, Miami, and Beverley Hills are among those already facing the consequences of AI-generated and deepfake nude images.
- In 2014, Jennifer Lawrence called the iCloud photo hack a “sex crime.”
What Elon Musk Won’t Tell You About Settling Mars w/ Zach Weinersmith
Paris Marx is joined by Zach Weinersmith to discuss why building space colonies will be much more difficult than the space billionaires want us to believe.
Zach Weinersmith co-wrote A City On Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? with Kelly Weinersmith. He also makes the Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of A City on Mars was published by Space.com.
What the TikTok Ban Reveals About US Tech Policy w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the motivations behind the proposed TikTok ban and what the effort tells us about US tech policy.
Jacob Silverman is a tech journalist and the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be speaking in Montreal on March 23 and March 26.
- Jacob wrote about the GOP megadonor who could benefit from whatever happens to TikTok.
- Paris wrote about the geopolitics of the TikTok ban and what it says about US power.
- Taylor Lorenz broke down some of the disputed claims being made about TikTok.
- Sam Biddle wrote about how Facebook knows they violated Palestinian human rights.
- Byron Tau explained how US government agencies are getting people’s personal data from data brokers.
Time for a Butlerian Jihad?: A ‘Dune’ Chat w/ Ed Ongweso Jr & Brian Merchant
In a bonus episode, Paris Marx is joined by Ed Ongweso Jr. and Brian Merchant to share their thoughts on Dune: Part Two, how it relates to the modern tech industry, and whether today’s Luddites can take anything from Dune’s Butlerian Jihad.
Ed Ongweso Jr is finance editor at Logic(s) Magazine and cohost of This Machine Kills. Brian Merchant is a technology journalist and the author of Blood In the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can watch the entire livestream over on YouTube.
- For Disconnect, Paris wrote about how the digital revolution has failed.
Silicon Valley Deserves Your Anger w/ Ed Zitron
Paris Marx is joined by Ed Zitron to discuss the public’s growing disillusionment with the tech industry as it pivoted to chasing profits instead of providing us with anything useful.
Ed Zitron is the host of Better Offline and writes the Where’s Your Ed At newsletter. He’s also the CEO of EZPR.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ed wrote about how tech lost its way and the problems with the generative AI hype.
- Paris wrote the failure of the digital revolution, the material costs of data centers, and Kara Swisher’s new book.
- A lot of Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI is cloud compute credits.
- Molly White reviewed Chris Dixon’s new book.
Plastic Recycling Is a Scam w/ Dharna Noor
Paris Marx is joined by Dharna Noor to discuss widely-held misconceptions about the effectiveness of plastic recycling and how industry lobbies invented them to protect the market for plastic products.
Dharna Noor is the fossil fuels and climate reporter at The Guardian.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- On Friday, March 8, Paris will be speaking with Ed Ongweso Jr. and Brian Merchant about Dune: Part Two and its connection to the growing Luddite movement. Watch it on our YouTube channel at 11am PT / 2pm ET / 7pm GMT.
- Our conversation was based in part on the Center for Climate Integrity’s new report called “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling.”
- Dharna reported on that report and has previously written about plastic materials ending up in landfills, fashion’s use of plastic, and the problem with replacing plastics with other disposables.
- In 2018, Barack Obama said, “That whole ‘suddenly America’s like the biggest oil producer and the biggest gas,’ that was me, people.
- New research has found microplastics in the placentas of unborn babies. The science isn’t settled on the effects on microplastics on human health, but there’s reason to be concerned.
A Setback for Gig Workers’ Rights in Europe w/ Ben Wray
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss why the European Union’s Platform Work Directive isn’t moving forward, what hope remains for gig workers’ rights in Europe, and what we should make of Uber’s first annual profit.
Ben Wray is the coordinator of the Gig Economy Project and the author of Scotland after Britain: The two souls of Scottish independence.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- On March 8, Paris will be doing a livestream about Dune 2 and Luddites with Ed Ongweso Jr and Brian Merchant. Get notified on YouTube.
- Ben wrote about the failure of the Platform Work Directive, the recent conferences on platform workers’ rights in Brussels, and the Uber CEO’s admission of using driver’s “behavioral patterns” to influence pay rates.
- Paris wrote about the wider context of Uber’s first annual profit.
- Delivery Hero’s business isn’t going well and its share price has been dropping.
- Glovo is facing serious legal trouble in Spain, and even as some fines have been suspended, others have been added.
- Food delivery workers in the UK have been on a major strike. Notes from Below have been publishing some dispatches from it.
How Foreverism Degrades Our Culture w/ Grafton Tanner
Paris Marx is joined by Grafton Tanner to discuss the dangers and consequences of companies and politicians leveraging nostalgia for their own purposes.
Grafton Tanner is the author of Foreverism. He also teaches at the University of Georgia.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the material footprint of data centers in Disconnect.
- Ian McKellen broke down on the set of The Hobbit after acting with no other actors on a green screen.
- In an interview with Charlie Rose, George Lucas described differences between Soviet and US film industries.
- Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Vanity Fair it wasn’t as fun making Star Wars films today as it was making the original trilogy.
- Jake Gyllenhaal described the difficulty of acting in a Marvel film after Spider-Man: Far From Home.
How Interfaces Shape Our Relationship to Tech w/ Zachary Kaiser
Paris Marx is joined by Zachary Kaiser to discuss the power of tech interfaces, why data isn’t an accurate reflection of the world, and why we need to discuss democratic decomputerization.
Zachary Kaiser is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Experience Architecture at Michigan State University. He’s also the author of Interfaces and Us: User Experience Design and the Making of the Computable Subject.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris is speaking in Auckland on February 18 at an event hosted by Tohatoha.
- Zachary wrote about dream reading technologies for Real Life.
- Zachary mentions specific works by David Golumbia, Ivan Illich, Aaron Benanav, John Cheney-Lippold, Thomas F. Tierney, Marisa Brandt, Arturo Escobar, and James Ferguson.
France’s Start-Up Nation Is a Neoliberal Hell w/ Nastasia Hadjadji
Paris Marx is joined by Nastasia Hadjadji to discuss Emmanuel Macron’s plan to run France like a start-up, how that justified a further dismantling of France's welfare state, and how his desire to create national tech champions is having domestic consequences.
Nastasia Hadjadji is a French journalist looking at tech from the lens of political economy and the author of “No Crypto. Comment Bitcoin a envoûté la planète.”
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be speaking in Auckland on February 18 in an event hosted by Tohatoha.
- Emmanuel Macron aided Uber’s lobbying efforts as Economy Minister under the former Socialist government.
- France worked hard to attract the crypto industry. Macron even took a selfie with Binance’s Changpeng Zhao, who’s now pled guilty to felony charges.
- The group Technopolice documents police surveillance in France.
- La Quadrature du Net campaigns against algorithmic video surveillance.
- Louis Pouzin is considered to have almost created the internet.
What’s Really Killing the News Media? w/ Victor Pickard
Paris Marx is joined by Victor Pickard to discuss the continued layoffs in news media, and how they are symptomatic of a deeper, structural crisis in journalism.
Victor Pickard is Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at University of Pennsylvania. He’s also the author of Democracy Without Journalism?: Confronting the Misinformation Society.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation and produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be speaking in Christchurch on February 4 and Wellington on February 8.
- Victor wrote for Niemen Lab about the need to divorce news and capitalism, and argued for public newspapers in the Washington Post.
- In the US, two-thirds of newspaper jobs, or 43,000 journalists, have been lost since 2005.
- Robert McChesney and John Nichols propose a Local Journalism Initiative.
- Police raided a newspaper in Kansas on August 11, 2023, setting off a major scandal that’s now seen the police chief suspended.
How Spotify Tried to Take Over Podcasting w/ Eric Silver
Paris Marx is joined by Eric Silver to discuss Spotify’s big plan to dominate podcasting, why it’s now pulling back from those efforts, and the difference between highly produced and more independent podcasts.
Eric Silver is a podcast producer and head of development at Multitude.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation and produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be in Christchurch on February 4 (details here) and Wellington on February 8 (details here). He’s hoping to get an Auckland date organized and is open to going to Australia.
- Spotify pulled back on its podcasting ambitions last year, canceling big shows and laying off staff.
- After buying Gimlet and Parcast, it merged them into Spotify Originals last year.
- Ashley Carman posted a slide from a Spotify presentation presenting the RSS feed as “outdated tech” because it’s harder for them to harvest data from.
AI Hype Distracted Us From Real Problems w/ Timnit Gebru
Paris Marx is joined by Timnit Gebru to discuss the past year in AI hype, how AI companies have shaped regulation, and tech’s relationship to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris is speaking in Montreal on January 20. Details here.
- Billy Perrigo reported on OpenAI lobbying to water down the EU’s AI Act.
- Nitasha Tiku wrote about the push to train students in a particular idea of AI.
- Politico has been doing a lot of reporting on the influences on AI policy in the US and UK.
- OpenAI made a submission in the UK to try to get permission to train on copyrighted material.
- Arab workers in the tech industry fear the consequences of speaking out for Palestinian rights.
- 972 Magazine reported on Israel’s use of AI to increase its targets in Gaza.
- Jack Poulson chronicles the growing ties between military and tech.
- Timnit mentioned No Tech for Apartheid, Antony Loewenstein’s The Palestine Laboratory, and Malcolm Harris’ Palo Alto.
What Social Media Meant for the Mass Protest Decade w/ Vincent Bevins
Paris Marx is joined by Vincent Bevins to discuss the mass protests of the 2010s, the role that social and traditional media played in them, and why the horizontalism of those movements ultimately didn’t work.
Vincent Bevins is a longtime foreign correspondent who has worked for the Washington Post, Financial Times, and LA Times. He’s the author of The Jakarta Method and If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation and produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read excerpts from If We Burn in The Guardian and In These Times.
- Vincent mentioned the work of Charles Tilley, Cihan Tuğal, Evgeny Morozov, and Andrey Mir.
How the Mirror World Distorts Our Reality w/ Naomi Klein
Paris Marx is joined by Naomi Klein to discuss the problems with personal branding pushed social media, how the left’s insufficient response to the pandemic created an opening for the right, and the fight over the roots of Western society that will shape our future.
Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author, and a columnist with The Guardian. She is the founding co-director of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice and Professor of Climate Justice at the University of British Columbia. Her newest book is Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read excerpts of Doppelganger in The Guardian and Vanity Fair.
- Naomi mentions Aimé Césaire’s Discourse on Colonialism.
The Year In Tech 2023 w/ Gita Jackson, Molly White, & Aaron Thorpe
2023 is over, so it’s time to go through everything! In a special year-end episode, we review the biggest stories of 2023, what we’re thinking of the AI hype, how science fiction makes us think about the future, the worst villains in the tech industry, and what we’re watching in 2024.
Gita Jackson is a journalist and cofounder of Aftermath. Molly White is the creator of Web3 is Going Just Great. Aaron Thorpe is co-host of Everybody Loves Communism.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- If you become a Patreon supporter before the end of the year, you’ll be entered into a giveaway for five signed copies of Joanne McNeil’s Wrong Way and Paris Marx’s Road to Nowhere. Sign up now!
- Gita recently launched Aftermath, and you can go subscribe!
- Molly is getting started on TikTok. Go follow her!
- Aaron posts a lot of cool science fiction art over on Twitter. Give him a follow!
- You can see the Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos photos we discuss in the Worst Person in Tech segment on Twitter, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
- Paris was mistaken: Enya sang “May It Be” for Fellowship of the Ring, not “Gollum’s Song” for the Two Towers. That was Emilíana Torrini. But Paris listened to both of them too much.
Why Tech Makes Us More Insecure w/ Astra Taylor
Paris Marx is joined by Astra Taylor to discuss how capitalism creates insecurity to sustain itself, the way tech is used to make us more insecure, and what it will take to change that.
Astra Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, and political organizer. She’s the author of The Age of Insecurity and co-founder of the Debt Collective. Her next book Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea, written with Leah Hunt-Hendrix, comes out in March.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Astra wrote about the Insecurity Machine for Logic Magazine and the Dads of Tech for The Baffler.
- Find excerpts from The Age of Insecurity in The New York Times and The Walrus.
- Become a supporter on Patreon to join our giveaway.
How Effective Accelerationism Divides Silicon Valley w/ Émile Torres
Paris Marx is joined by Émile Torres to discuss Silicon Valley’s recent obsession with effective accelerationism, how it builds on the TESCREAL ideologies, and why it shows the divide at the top of the AI industry.
Émile Torres is a postdoctoral fellow at Case Western Reserve University. They’re also the author of Human Extinction: A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Emile wrote about the TESCREAL ideologies and AI extinction scaremongering.
- Timnit Gebru also did a great presentation on TESCREAL.
- Paris wrote about the religious nature of Marc Andreessen’s techno-solutionist manifesto and about Sam Altman’s (temporary) ouster from OpenAI.
- The Year In Tech livestream for Patreon supporters is on December 17 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm GMT. More details on Patreon or Twitter.
- The Information did a great profile on effective accelerationism.
- Forbes revealed the man behind the e/acc moniker Beff Jezos.
- 972 Magazine reported on Israeli’s use of AI to expand targets in Gaza.
- UK plans a “hit squad” to replace public servants with AI. Paris wrote about the threat it poses.
Don’t Praise Bill Gates w/ Tim Schwab
Paris Marx is joined by Tim Schwab to discuss why the story we hear about Bill Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation doesn’t reflect their real impact on education and health around the world.
Tim Schwab is an investigative journalist and the author of The Bill Gates Problem: Reckoning with the Myth of the Good Billionaire.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Bill Gates was pied in Belgium in 1999 and made fun of on The Simpsons.
- You can watch highlights from Gates’ deposition in the antitrust trial on YouTube.
- Gates had a reputation about questionable and inappropriate conduct toward women below him in the workplace.
- Aaron Gordon wrote there’s an adage that “everyone thinks Musk is a genius until you hear him talk about a subject you know something about.”
- In 2008, the head of the World Heath Organization’s malaria program criticized the growing dominance of the Gates Foundation in the research area.
The Human Side of the AI Underclass w/ Joanne McNeil
Paris Marx is joined by Joanne McNeil to discuss her new novel dealing with the human labor behind self-driving cars and the challenges of being a good tech critic.
Joanne McNeil is the author of Wrong Way and has written for Dissent Magazine, New York Magazine, and The Nation.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Joanne has written about the need for tech critics that aren’t insiders and tech media warming back up to Facebook.
- Paris wrote about the recent scandal around GM’s Cruise division.
- In 2014, Ursula Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and gave a speech that skewered capitalism.
- Joanne’s fictional tech founder was in part inspired by Holacracy and Dan Price.
- The fantasy of self-driving cars is highly reliant on remote drivers.
The Fight Over the Future of OpenAI w/ Mike Isaac
Paris Marx is joined by Mike Isaac to discuss the drama around Sam Altman being temporarily removed from OpenAI, what it means for the future of the company, and how Microsoft benefits from its partnership with the company.
Mike Isaac is a technology reporter at the New York Times. He’s also the author of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Mike summarized the OpenAI-Sam Altman affair with his colleagues in the New York Times. He's been reporting on it since it began.
- Paris wrote about the Sam Altman-Microsoft relationship in Disconnect.
- Semafor reported that in 2018, Elon Musk tried to take over OpenAI but was pushed out instead.
- Forbes reporter Sarah Emerson went through Emmett Shear’s old tweets — and yikes.
The Information War in Gaza w/ Marwa Fatafta
Paris Marx is joined by Marwa Fatafta to discuss the ongoing Israeli campaign in Gaza, the importance of social media for sharing what’s happening on the ground, and what listeners can do to support peace and Palestinian rights.
Marwa Fatafta is a Palestinian digital rights advocate and researcher. She is Access Now’s Policy and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- 1 in 200 people in Gaza have been killed. >4,600 of the 11,100 dead are children.
- An Israeli government minster called their actions the “Gaza Nakba.”
- Instagram inserted “terrorist” into translations of Palestinian bios and removed hospital bombing photos for nudity. Whatsapp generated stickers of gun-wielding children for Palestinian terms.
- Facebook’s terrorism algorithms removed non-violent Arabic content 77% of the time.
- 7amleh tracked hate speech in Hebrew on social media. WSJ reported Meta’s Hebrew hate speech classifier doesn’t actually work.
- FAIR detailed Western media bias in reporting on Israel-Palestine.
- Access Now published a report on the internet shutdowns happening in Gaza.
- CNN and other Western outlets allow the Israeli army to review their Gaza footage.
- Al Jazeera, Channel 4, NYT, and WaPo found holes in Israel’s hospital explosion story about.
- Israel has been actively creating and spreading disinformation.
- The Israeli parliament passed a bill criminalizing the “consumption of terrorist materials” as dozens are arrested for social media posts.
Sam Bankman-Fried is Guilty w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, why he was found guilty, and how his negative traits are common across Silicon Valley.
Jacob Silverman is a journalist and the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. He’s also the host of The Naked Emperor. Find more of Jacob’s work on jacobsilverman.com.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob recently wrote about the Sam Bankman-Fried trial for Air Mail, The Nation, and his newsletter.
- Elizabeth Holmes reported to prison in May for an 11-year sentence for swindling investors in Theranos.
- Sam Bankman-Fried is facing further charges in a second trial scheduled for March 11. He’s also due to be sentenced for the guilty charges in the first trial on March 28.
- Caroline Ellison revealed the leaked balance sheet that ultimately tanked FTX and Alameda was one of seven fakes made at the behest of Bankman-Fried.
- Max Chafkin and Hannah Miller wrote about the role of Bankman-Fried’s parents in Bloomberg Businessweek.
- Binance is in crisis in the face of a serious Department of Justice investigation.
Elon Musk Unmasked: Shaping the Future (Part 4)
After building an empire, now Elon Musk wants us to believe he deserves it. He built a myth of his genius, and now he’s using the same to seed harmful ideologies into the public that justify how he hoards wealth to pursue the projects he should be central to humanity’s future, leaving behind a ton of suffering in their wake. But is Musk’s future really the one we want? This is episode 4 of Elon Musk Unmasked, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Astrotopia author Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Human Extinction author Émile P. Torres, science fiction author Annalee Newitz, The Information reporter Julia Black, New York Times Johannesburg bureau chief John Eligon, Insider senior correspondent Linette Lopez, and environmental compliance expert Eric Roesch were interviewed for this episode.
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, and Liftoff by Eric Berger were the books cited.
Elon Musk Unmasked: Building An Empire (Part 3)
Elon Musk has built himself a corporate empire, but how did he do it? He’s styled himself at as the cofounder of Tesla, but the real innovations came from its actual founders before he took the credit and spun a ton of deceptive tales he couldn’t follow through on to boost its share price. Ultimately, his interventions have had some serious consequences. This is episode 3 of Elon Musk Unmasked, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Insider senior correspondent Linette Lopez, CNBC.com journalist Lora Kolodny, Ludicrous author Edward Niedermeyer, transportation journalist Alissa Walker, and climate journalist Amy Westervelt were interviewed for this episode.
- Ludicrous by Edward Niedermeyer, Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, and Road to Nowhere by Paris Marx were the books cited.
- A full transcript can be found on the show's official website.
Elon Musk Unmasked: Creating the Genius Myth (Part 2)
Elon Musk is man, but he’s also a character that he crafted and which the media blew up to unimaginable scale. Without the media, Musk would not be the man he is today because that myth — and the way it exaggerated some of his traits and virtually hid others — was essential to his success. This is episode 2 of Elon Musk Unmasked, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Science fiction author Annalee Newitz, CNBC.com journalist Lora Kolodny, Ludicrous author Edward Niedermeyer, freelance journalist Karl Bode, and Insider senior correspondent Linette Lopez were interviewed for this episode.
- Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, The Founders by Jimmy Soni, and The PayPal Wars by Eric Jackson were the books cited.
- A full transcript can be found on the show's official website.
Elon Musk Unmasked: Origins of an Oligarch (Part 1)
Elon Musk wasn't always the influential billionaire he is today. To begin our dive into the myth of Musk, we need to go back to his origins — to find out where he came from, what inspired him, and how he became the man he is today. Those details set the foundation for the three episodes to come. This is episode 1 of Elon Musk Unmasked, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Insider senior correspondent Linette Lopez, New York Times Johnannesburg bureau chief John Eligon, CBC documentary producer Ira Basen, and science fiction author Annalee Newitz were interviewed for this episode.
- Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, and The Founders by Jimmy Soni were the books cited.
- A full transcript can be found on the show's official website.
Sam Bankman-Fried On Trial w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the start of the criminal trial against Sam Bankman-Fried, what we know about the case, and whether he’s likely to be found guilty.
Jacob Silverman is a journalist and the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. He’s also the host of The Naked Emperor. Find more of Jacob’s work on jacobsilverman.com.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about the trial on his newsletter.
- Molly White has also written a preview of what’s to come in the Bankman-Fried trial.
- Sam Bankman-Fried leaked Caroline Ellison’s diaries to the New York Times. Soon after, his bail was revoked and he was sent to prison for over witness tampering.
- Sam Bankman-Fried was interviewed by Matt Levine on Odd Lots and basically admitted yield farming was a Ponzi scheme.
- Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh have all pleaded guilty and are expected to be collaborating with the government against Bankman-Fried.
- Bankman-Fried’s parents are also being sued over the millions they got from FTX.
The Real History of the Luddites w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the history of the Luddites, why we have their story all wrong, and what we can learn from them today.
Brian Merchant is the technology columnist at the LA Times and the author of Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt from Brian’s book was published in Fast Company. He also explained why he’s a Luddite in the Washington Post.
- In 2014, Brian wrote “You’ve Got the Luddites All Wrong.”
- On October 12, we’ll be holding a Luddite Tribunal in New York City.
- We also mentioned the work of David Noble, Eric Hobsbawm, and E. P. Thompson.
SpaceX’s Regulatory Evasion Has Consequences w/ Eric Roesch
Paris Marx is joined by Eric Roesch to discuss the aftermath of the SpaceX Starship launch that caused so much environmental damage in April 2023 and the broader consequences of Elon Musk’s consistent regulatory evasion.
Eric Roesch is an expert in environmental compliance and risk assessment who writes about intersection of capitalism, markets and greenwashing as ESG Hound. You can follow Eric’s newsletter on Substack.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Eric wrote about the damage the Starship launch was going to have, SpaceX’s violation of the Clean Water Act, and Elon Musk’s general regulatory evasion. He also shared a lot of photos of the aftermath of the Starship launch.
- Paris wrote about the late David Golumbia and his work on Disconnect.
- The Federal Aviation Administration says SpaceX needs to take 63 corrective measures before another Starship launch.
- The FAA was sued by environmental groups over the impacts of the Starship launch. SpaceX joined that lawsuit.
- SpaceX still needs approval from the US Fish and Wildlife Service before it can launch again. They’ve previously not been happy with SpaceX.
- Ronan Farrow put shed light on the power Elon Musk has amassed in the New Yorker.
How US-China Rivalry Distracts from Tech Harms w/ Yangyang Cheng
Paris Marx is joined by Yangyang Cheng to discuss the growing divide between the United States and China, and how nationalistic narratives distract us from a better understanding of tech in both countries.
Yangyang Cheng is a particle physicist and research scholar at Yale Law School. She’s written for the New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, WIRED, and many others. You can follow Yangyang on Twitter at @yangyang_cheng.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Yangyang wrote about the myth of the TikTok spy and the US fixation on Chinese espionage for Wired.
- She mentioned the coming expiry of a science and technology agreement between the US and China. It’s been temporarily extended.
- Paris recently wrote about the benefits the US receives from the global footprint of its tech companies, and why that makes China look like a threat.
How Tech Wields Its Power in San Francisco w/ Dean Preston
Paris Marx is joined by Dean Preston to discuss the havoc robotaxis are wreaking in San Francisco and the wider impacts the tech industry has had on the city.
Dean Preston is the District 5 Supervisor in San Francisco and the first democratic socialist elected in the city in 40 years. He’s also a tenant attorney and founder of Tenants Together. You can follow Dean on Twitter at @DeanPreston.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris interviewed one of the activists placing cones driverless cars to disable them and draw attention to the California Public Utilities Commission’s pro-corporate regulatory decisions.
- In 2011, Twitter got a massive tax break to stay in San Francisco instead of moving its offices elsewhere in the Valley.
- Salesforce CEO Marx Benioff was a rare tech mogul to support San Francisco’s ballot measure to create a new tax to fund help for homeless residents.
- A ballot measure to increase the transfer tax on properties over $10 million won in 2020, despite industry opposition.
- The campaign against progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin was bankrolled by tech and real estate money. Jacob Silverman put this into wider context in a piece about the rise in the political influence of David Sacks.
Reporting Critically on Tech w/ Jason Koebler & Samantha Cole
Paris Marx is joined by Jason Koebler and Samantha Cole to discuss why they launched 404 Media, how it was inspired by their work at Motherboard, and their reflections on the state of tech media.
Jason Koebler and Samantha Cole are co-founders of 404 Media. Jason was editor-in-chief of VICE’s Motherboard. Samantha was a senior editor at Motherboard and is the author of “How Sex Changed the Internet.” Find out more about 404 Media.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Last week the 404 team introduced themselves. Among the stories they published were pieces looking into Apple AirPods Max and AI-generated porn.
- Vice declared bankruptcy in May 2023.
- Paris argued in Disconnect that the media failed the public in how they reported on Elon Musk.
AI Criticism Has a Decades-Long History w/ Ben Tarnoff
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff to discuss the ELIZA chatbot created by Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s and how it led him to develop a critical perspective on AI and computing that deserves more attention during this wave of AI hype.
Ben Tarnoff writes about technology and politics. He is a founding editor of Logic, and author of Internet for the People: The Fight for Our Digital Future. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @bentarnoff.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ben wrote a long article about Weizenbaum and what we can learn from his work for The Guardian.
- Paris wrote a skeptical perspective on AI hype and the promises of ChatGPT in Disconnect.
- Zachary Loeb has also written about Weizenbaum’s work and perspective on AI and computing.
Pondering the Orb w/ Molly White
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss Sam Bankman-Fried having his bail revoked and Sam Altman’s plan to scan all of our irises to get us into crypto and supposedly protect us from AI.
Molly White is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great and a fellow at the Harvard Library Innovation Lab. You can follow Molly on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly wrote about Sam Bankman-Fried going to prison and what’s going on with Worldcoin in her newsletter.
- Paris also dug into Worldcoin in the Disconnect newsletter.
- The New York Times published a story about Caroline Ellison based on details provided by Sam Bankman-Fried.
- MIT Tech Review and Buzzfeed News did in-depth investigations of Worldcoin and its exploitation of people in the Global South.
- Worldcoin has been shut down in Kenya and is under regulatory scrutiny in the European Union.
Abolish Venture Capital w/ Edward Ongweso Jr.
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss how the venture capital industry works, why the technologies it funds don’t deliver on their marketing promises, and how that’s once again being shown in the hype around AI.
Edward Ongweso Jr. is a freelance journalist, co-host of This Machine Kills, and guest columnist at The Nation. You can follow Ed on Twitter at @bigblackjacobin.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Edward wrote about the problems with venture capital and what the AI hype shows us about the industry for The Nation. Earlier this year, he wrote about the tantrum VCs threw after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
- Paris wrote about where Elon Musk’s vision for the X superapp comes from, why his Twitter rebrand isn’t going so well, and why ChatGPT isn’t a revolution.
- In 2020, Sam Harnett wrote about the problem with tech media’s coverage of the gig economy.
- Uber used to want to be the “Amazon for transportation” and the “operating system for everyday life.”
- TIME reported on how OpenAI lobbying watered down EU AI rules.
- Marc Andreessen wrote his pitch for “Why AI Will Save the World.”
The Right is Building Its Own Platforms w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss how the right-wing of the tech industry are funding media platforms like Rumble to reshape the political discourse and why they’re helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. challenge Joe Biden.
Jacob Silverman is a journalist and the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. He’s also the host of The Naked Emperor on CBC Podcasts. You can check out Jacob’s Substack.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about Rumble as a MAGA platform, why tech is boosting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., revolutionary war reenactors getting caught up in Facebook’s purge of militia groups, and David Sacks.
- Mark Zuckerberg chose to go easy on Alex Jones and other right-wing figures on Facebook.
- Trump Media may be going public via a SPAC merger.
- Darren Blanton was involved in a scheme to keep Black voters from the polls.
- Wendy Siegelman put together a chart of the connections between Rumble, Trump Media, and other groups.
- Rumble went public via SPAC in 2022.
- Brandy Zadrozny wrote about RFK Jr. and his views for NBC News.
Are UFOs Really Out There? w/ Kelsey Atherton
Paris Marx is joined by Kelsey Atherton to discuss the renewed interest in UFOs, where the conspiracy theories of aliens in the sky came from, and whether flying saucers might really be watching us.
Kelsey Atherton is a military technology journalist. He contributes to Popular Science and has written for Slate. Follow Kelsey on Twitter at @AthertonKD.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kelsey has written about how the military’s culture of secrecy breeds UFO conspiracy theories, why sensors are an important aspect to consider, and the truth of Area 51.
- A U-2 pilot took a selfie with the Chinese balloon shot down earlier this year.
- The military later confirmed the Chinese balloon was not actually spying on the United States.
- One of the balloons that were shot down likely belonged to a hobbyist group called the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade.
- In 2019, a bunch of people online planned to hold a “Naruto run” at Area 51.
Big Tech Won’t Revitalize Indigenous Languages w/ Keoni Mahelona
Paris Marx is joined by Keoni Mahelona to discuss the colonial nature of data extraction by major tech companies, and how Te Hiku takes a very different approach to revitalize the Māori language.
Keoni Mahelona is the Chief Technology Officer at Te Hiku Media. Follow Keoni on Twitter at @mahelona.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Keoni and some of his colleagues wrote about why OpenAI’s Whisper is another example of colonialism.
- Wired and MIT Tech Review have written about the work Te Hiku is doing with Māori language in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Mark Zuckerberg owns a lot of land in Hawaiʻi, and it’s quite controversial.
How Israel Uses Occupation to Develop Military Tech w/ Antony Loewenstein
Paris Marx is joined by Antony Loewenstein to discuss how the Israeli weapons industry tests new military technologies on occupied Palestinians before selling them internationally.
Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist who’s written for the New York Times and the Guardian. He’s the author of The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports The Technology Of Occupation Around The World. Follow Antony on Twitter at @antloewenstein.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Excerpts from Antony’s book have been published by In These Times, Declassified Australia, and Jamal Khashoggi-founded Democracy for the Arab World Now. Antony also wrote a good overview of the book for Middle East Eye.
- Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and Yesh Din have called Israel’s actions apartheid.
- Google and Amazon workers protested Project Nimbus. They also faced shareholder revolts over the project.
- Airbnb lists properties in illegal Israeli settlements.
- Red Wolf is deployed at checkpoints to scan Palestinians’ faces and add them to surveillance databases without their consent.
- Facebook has been criticized for removing Palestinians’ posts.
- The New York Times reported on Israel’s use of NSO Group surveillance tools for diplomatic leverage.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists found Israel killed 20 journalists.
Google and Meta Are Fighting with Canada w/ David Moscrop
Paris Marx is joined by David Moscrop to discuss Canada’s plan to make Google and Meta pay news publishers, and what might happened now that they’re threatening to pull Canadian news from their platforms.
David Moscrop is a freelance writer and the author of Too Dumb for Democracy?: Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Moscrop.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- David Moscrop wrote about the larger context of the Online News Bill in his Substack newsletter.
- Paris also wrote about Google and Meta threatening to pull news in Canada and why Canada should take a hard line with them.
- Sandy Garossino wrote about how much money Google and Meta extract from Canada.
- Media conglomerates Postmedia and Nordstar are in talks to merge.
- California is also looking at a similar process to force Google and Meta to pay media in that state.
- On Wednesday, the Canadian government pulled advertising from Facebook and Instagram, but said Google was still talking to find a way forward. The government said it won’t back down, and two opposition parties — the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois — voiced their support.
Why AI is a Threat to Artists w/ Molly Crabapple
Paris Marx is joined by Molly Crabapple to discuss why AI image generation tools are a threat to illustrators and why we need to refuse the idea that Silicon Valley’s visions of technology are inevitable.
Molly Crabapple is an artist and writer based in New York. She is the author of two books, Drawing Blood and Brothers of the Gun with Marwan Hisham. Follow Molly on Twitter at @mollycrabapple.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly wrote an op-ed for the LA Times about the threat of AI-generated tools for artists, and co-wrote an open letter about restricting AI illustration for the Center for Artistic Inquiry and Reporting.
- Karla Ortiz wrote about how teaching an AI to copy an artist’s style isn’t democratization; it’s theft.
- Corridor Digital claimed they were “democratizing” animation by using AI trained on Vampire Hunter D to generate their own animated video.
- Rest of World reported on how AI was being used to take video game illustrators’ jobs in China.
- AI is already being used to justify laying off journalists.
- In February, Creative Commons published an article arguing that using copyrighted works to train generative AI should be considered fair use.
- Stable Diffusion and Midjourney were hit with a copyright lawsuit, and Getty Images launched its own suit against Stable Diffusion.
- The US Copyright Office says AI generated images are not eligible for copyright protection.
We Don’t Need the Apple Vision Pro w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the vision of the future of computing offered by Apple’s Vision Pro headset and why it should be resisted.
Brian Merchant is the technology columnist at the LA Times. He’s also the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be in Edmonton, Alberta on June 24. More info here.
- Brian wrote a column about the Apple Vision Pro for the LA Times, and another about Uber drivers in California getting payouts.
- Paris also wrote about why Apple Vision Pro should be ridiculed for Disconnect.
- David Karpf called virtual reality the “rich white kid of technology.”
- Meta employees are not working in the metaverse.
- Mark Gurman reported on the internal division at Apple over whether to release the Vision Pro in its current form.
Crypto’s Final Boss Fight w/ Molly White
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss the Securities and Exchange Commission’s lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase and what they might mean for the future of the crypto industry.
Molly White is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great and a fellow at Harvard Library Innovation Lab. Follow Molly on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Tech Won’t Save Us was in the New York Times!
- Molly wrote about the Binance and Coinbase cases for Rolling Stone. She also wrote about both cases in her newsletter.
- Amy Castor and David Gerard broke down the Coinbase lawsuit.
- Matt Levine has also written about the lawsuits and what it means for crypto being seen as a security.
- In 2020, Forbes reported on the Tai Chi documents about Binance’s efforts to evade regulators.
- Binance is also being sued by the CFTC and there are reports that criminal charges could also be coming from the Department of Justice.
- Prometheum Capital registered to deal in crypto securities.
- Binance recently withdrew from Canada.
- Robinhood ended support for tokens the SEC listed as securities.
- Crypto.com is winding down US institutional trading.
- Nigeria’s SEC said Binance’s operations are illegal.
- Elon Musk is being sued over manipulation of the price of Dogecoin.
The Influencer Industry Is Built on Precarity w/ Emily Hund
Paris Marx is joined by Emily Hund to discuss the creation of the influencer industry, how it’s been formalized by companies who profit from it, and what can be done to make it fairer for the people who work in it.
Emily Hund is the author of The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media. She’s also a research affiliate at the Center on Digital Culture and Society at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. Follow Emily on Twitter at @emilyadh.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of Emily’s book was published in Wired.
- After Elon Musk took over Twitter, a menswear account was suddenly in everyone’s feeds.
- Instagram is offering a paid subscription service that includes customer service.
- Countries have begun regulating the influencer industry. For example, Norway requires retouched photos to be labeled, while France has an even stricter law that regulates the types of products that can be promoted along with other requirements.
The Online Shopping Boom Is Over w/ Amanda Mull
Paris Marx is joined by Amanda Mull to discuss the history of consumerism and where ecommerce goes in the next few years as interest rates rise and its market share stalls.
Amanda Mull is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she writes the Material World column. She’s also a shop steward at The Atlantic Union. Follow Amanda on Twitter at @amandamull.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Amanda has written about consumerism, buying less junk, the pivot to TikTok, and why free returns are coming to an end.
- Paris wrote about the problem with Apple’s town square store concept.
- Amazon curtailed massive warehouse expansion plans it made early in the pandemic.
- Lauren Smily wrote about the shut-in economy in 2015.
- William Leach wrote Land of Desire: Merchants: Power and the Rise of a New American Culture.
The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race w/ Mary-Jane Rubenstein
Paris Marx is joined by Mary-Jane Rubenstein to discuss how ideas that underpinned colonization and Manifest Destiny are now setting the foundation for the billionaire space race and the plan to colonize the cosmos.
Mary-Jane Rubenstein is the author of Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race. She’s also a Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of Mary-Jane’s book was published in Metapolis.
- Paris wrote about the business behind the billionaire space race and the problem with Starlink.
- Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin recently got a contract to build a moon lander for NASA.
- One of Barack Obama’s legacies is pushing for the privatization of space flight.
- The US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 and Artemis Accords are attempts to unilaterally rewrite space law for US commercial interest.
- Catherine L. Newell wrote Destined for the Stars: Faith, the Future, and America's Final Frontier.
Pronatalism and Silicon Valley’s Right-Wing Turn w/ Julia Black
Paris Marx is joined by Julia Black to discuss tech billionaires’ embrace of pronatalism and how it’s part of a broader rationalist project to remake society and protect their privileged positions.
Julia Black is a senior correspondent at Insider and previously worked at Esquire and Vox. Follow Julia on Twitter at @mjnblack.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Julia wrote about pronatalism, Lex Fridman, and Sam Altman.
- Paris wrote about eugenics in Silicon Valley.
- Marc Andreessen wrote “It’s Time to Build” in April 2020.
- Timnit Gebru gave a presentation on the TESCREAL bundle of ideologies. Émile Torres made a thread on Twitter about it.
How Cities Sell Themselves to the Tech Industry w/ David A. Banks
Paris Marx is joined by David A. Banks to discuss how cities have been reshaped to attract tech companies and what the consequences have been for the people who live in them.
David A. Banks is the author of The City Authentic: How the Attention Economy Builds Urban America. He’s a lecturer in the Geography and Planning department at University at Albany, SUNY. David also writers Other Day and co-hosts Iron Weeds. Follow David on Twitter at @DA_Banks.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
Elon Musk Is Destroying Twitter w/ Matt Binder
Paris Marx is joined by Matt Binder to discuss Elon Musk’s first six months at Twitter and how his obsession with blue checks has decimated the company’s finances.
Matt Binder is a reporter at Mashable and the host of Scam Economy and Doomed. Follow Matt on Twitter at @MattBinder.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Matt wrote about how few people are signing up for Twitter Blue, the people subscribing to Musk’s tweets, the Block the Blue campaign, and whether Bluesky will challenge Twitter.
- Paris wrote about what a recent BBC interview tells us about Musk’s knowledge of what’s happening on Twitter and what his history tells us about his plans for Twitter.
- Twitter revenue from its top 10 advertisers dropped 89% from September-October to March-April.
- William Shatner said his trip to space left him with “among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered.”
- After Musk gave many high-profile users blue checks again, many wonder if he could be sued for false endorsement since they haven’t actually paid for the service.
Does Banning TikTok Make Sense? w/ Shoshana Wodinsky & Daniel Greene
Paris Marx is joined by Shoshana Wodinsky to discuss the unconvincing arguments being made for a TikTok ban in the United States, then by Daniel Greene to explore how the turn against Chinese technology signals a shift in US policy on the internet and technology.
Shoshana Wodinsky is a freelance reporter, previously at Marketwatch and Gizmodo. She writes the Tubes newsletter. Daniel Greene is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies and the author of The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope. Follow Shoshana on Twitter at @swodinsky and Daniel at @Greene_DM.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the effort to ban TikTok and why it shows the US desire to protect its technological dominance.
- Shoshana broke down the Congressional hearing with TikTok’s CEO in her newsletter and explained how data brokers get data from many social media apps.
- A priest was outed through his Grindr data, which was part of a campaign by Catholic conservatives to identify priests using gay dating apps.
- The Strava fitness app gave away the location of secret US military bases when soldiers used the app on their runs.
- The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have been buying US phone data.
- Meta paid a firm linked to the Republican Party to smear TikTok.
- In Foreign Affairs, Dan Wang explained how China has developed its tech industry with insights gained through the manufacturing process.
- After TikTok, there’s a campaign to get Shein in the crosshairs of lawmakers.
- Adam Tooze wrote for Foreign Policy about why the US shouldn’t feel it can dictate the path of China’s development.
Chatbots Won’t Take Many Jobs w/ Aaron Benanav
Paris Marx is joined by Aaron Benanav to discuss OpenAI’s claims that generative AI will take our jobs, how previous periods of automation hype haven’t resulted in mass job loss, and why we need to ensure it doesn’t further empower employers.
Aaron Benanav is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and the author of Automation and the Future of Work. Follow Aaron on Twitter at @abenanav.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Aaron wrote about why chatbots won’t take your job for the New Statesman.
- Microsoft is rolling out generative AI in its enterprise software services and its Azure platform.
- The Writers Guild is proposing contract language on AI in scriptwriting to ensure writers still get the credit.
ChatGPT Is Not Intelligent w/ Emily M. Bender
Paris Marx is joined by Emily M. Bender to discuss what it means to say that ChatGPT is a “stochastic parrot,” why Elon Musk is calling to pause AI development, and how the tech industry uses language to trick us into buying its narratives about technology.
Emily M. Bender is a professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Washington and the Faculty Director of the Computational Linguistics Master’s Program. She’s also the director of the Computational Linguistics Laboratory. Follow Emily on Twitter at @emilymbender or on Mastodon at @emilymbender@dair-community.social.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Emily was one of the co-authors on the “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots” paper and co-wrote the “Octopus Paper” with Alexander Koller. She was also recently profiled in New York Magazine and has written about why policymakers shouldn’t fall for the AI hype.
- The Future of Life Institute put out the “Pause Giant AI Experiments” letter and the authors of the “Stochastic Parrots” paper responded through DAIR Institute.
- Zachary Loeb has written about Joseph Weizenbaum and the ELIZA chatbot.
- Leslie Kay Jones has researched how Black women use and experience social media.
- As generative AI is rolled out, many tech companies are firing their AI ethics teams.
- Emily points to Algorithmic Justice League and AI Incident Database.
- Deborah Raji wrote about data and systemic racism for MIT Tech Review.
- Books mentioned: Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil, Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff, Race After Technology by Ruha Benjamin, Ghost Work by Mary L Gray & Siddharth Suri, Artificial Unintelligence by Meredith Broussard, Design Justice by Sasha Costanza-Chock, Data Conscience: Algorithmic S1ege on our Hum4n1ty by Brandeis Marshall.
How Amazon Reshapes Small Business to Serve Itself w/ Moira Weigel
Paris Marx is joined by Moira Weigel to discuss the third-party sellers who supply many of the goods sold through Amazon, how the company’s policy decisions reshape small businesses to act like mini-Amazons, and what that means for regulatory responses.
Moira Weigel is an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University, a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law School, and a founding editor of Logic Magazine. Her most recent book is Voices from the Valley: Tech Workers Talk about What They Do--And How They Do It, co-edited with Ben Tarnoff. Follow Moira on Twitter at @moiragweigel.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Moira recently wrote a report for Data & Society looking into Amazon’s “trickle-down monopoly,” and previously worked with Ava Kofman and Francis Tseng on research into white nationalist publishing on Amazon.
- Aiha Nguyen and Eve Zelickson wrote a report on how Ring doorbells are used to surveil delivery workers.
- Logic Magazine published an interview with an anonymous AWS engineer.
- In March 2020, an Amazon seller bought 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and tried to price gouge.
- Marketplace Pulse found that Amazon fees for sellers now account for 51.8% of an average sale, rising from 35.2% in 2016.
- Amazon is now the third-largest digital advertising company after Google and Facebook.
- In January, John Herman wrote about the state of Amazon that touched on some of the Chinese brands.
- Amazon has been scaling back its private label business, in part due to regulatory fears.
- Books mentioned: Work and Alienation in the Platform Economy: Amazon and the Power of Organization by Sarrah Kassem, Blockchain Chicken Farm: And Other Stories of Tech in China's Countryside by Xiaowei Wang, and The Labor of Reinvention: Entrepreneurship in the New Chinese Digital Economy by Lin Zhang.
Celebrating Three Years of Tech Won’t Save Us!
Tech Won’t Save Us is turning three years old, so Paris recorded a quick update on the show and announced plans for a new Elon Musk series if the show gets 200 new Patreon supporters in April.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
What Drives Architects to Design Saudi Megaprojects? w/ Kate Wagner
Paris Marx is joined by Kate Wagner to discuss the goals behind Saudi Arabia’s architectural megaprojects, the incentives for major architects to work on projects for despotic regimes, and how architecture’s relationship to tech is driven by profits and PR.
Kate Wagner is an architecture critic and journalist. She’s also the creator of McMansion Hell. Follow Kate on Twitter at @mcmansionhell.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kate wrote about Saudi Arabia’s big architecture projects, the problem with PR-chitecture, the ethical failings of modern architecture, and why utopian architectural projects suck.
- In 2020, Bjarke Ingels met with Jair Bolsonaro about a tourism plan for Brazil.
- Workers in the architecture industry have begun to unionize.
Everyone Hates VCs After the SVB Collapse w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, how it’s part of a larger crisis in the tech sector, and why it’s turning people against the industry’s venture capitalists.
Jacob Silverman is a journalist and the host of The Naked Emperor, a new CBC podcast. Follow Jacob on Twitter at @SilvermanJacob.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about the lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in the Globe and Mail.
- Paris wrote about how the SVB collapse should be a radicalizing moment against venture capitalists.
- A video circulated about Jason Calacanis bragging about SVB offering him favorable banking services.
- A screenshot shows a founder complaining about Chase closing his bank account because his company doesn’t have a physical office, saying SVB never required one.
- Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund told its portfolio companies to pull their money out of SVB before its collapse.
- SVB’s President pushed for Congress to reduce regulations and oversight on banks like SVB as it grew.
Robots Aren’t the Solution to Elder Care w/ James Wright
Paris Marx is joined by James Wright to discuss Japan’s efforts to develop robots to care for its growing elderly population, what the government hoped to achieve with that plan, and why it hasn’t worked out as planned.
James Wright is a research associate with Turning Institute and a visiting lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. He’s also the author of Robots Won’t Save Japan. You can follow James on Twitter at @jms_wright.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris is visiting New Zealand and doing a number of events through the latter half of March. Find all the dates and details here.
- James wrote about Japan’s efforts to automate elder care for MIT Tech Review.
- Jennifer Robertson spoke about the gendering of robots to cement conservative gender norms.
Why We Must Resist AI w/ Dan McQuillan
Paris Marx is joined by Dan McQuillan to discuss how AI systems encourage ranking populations and austerity policies, and why understanding their politics is essential to opposing them.
Dan McQuillan is a Lecturer in Creative and Social Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. He’s also the author of Resisting AI: An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @danmcquillan.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Dan wrote specifically about ChatGPT and how we should approach it on his website.
- Dan mentions TWIML as a podcast that has conversations with industry players that’s informative for how these technologies work (though you’re not likely to get a critical perspective on them), and Achille Mbembe’s book Necropolitics.
- OpenAI used Kenyan workers earning $2/hour to make ChatGPT less toxic.
- The UK had to scrap a racist algorithm it was using for visa applications and many councils dropped the use of algorithms in their welfare and benefits systems.
- Dan mentions a Human Rights Watch report on the EU’s flawed AI regulations and its impacts on the social safety net.
- The Lucas Plan was developed by workers at Lucas Aerospace in the 1970s, but rejected by their bosses.
What New EU Rules Might Mean for Gig Workers w/ Ben Wray
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the fight to win a pro-worker Platform Work Directive in the European Union, Uber’s rollout of dynamic pricing, and how Barcelona taxi workers have fought back against ride-hailing.
Ben Wray is the coordinator of The Gig Economy Project and the co-author of Scotland after Britain: The two souls of Scottish independence. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @Ben_Wray1989.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The Gig Economy Project has a weekly newsletter on the gig economy in Europe.
- Ben wrote about the Platform Work Directive for Context.
- In 2022, the Uber Files gave us greater insight into Uber's lobbying activities, with a specific focus on what had gone on in Europe. The leaks implicated French President Emmanuel Macron, but he said he’d do it all again.
- The Gig Economy Project broke down what dynamic pricing would mean for workers and spoke to Leïla Chaibi about the Platform Work Directive.
- The UCLA Labor Center, transport analyst Hubert Horan, and Rideshare Drivers United with the Asian Law Caucus have all found Uber raising prices while cutting driver pay.
- Spain passed the Riders Law to regulate gig work, and Barcelona has pushed back against ride-hailing with the backing of a taxi union called Élite Taxi.
The Consequences of Leaving Tech to the Private Sector w/ Rosie Collington
Paris Marx is joined by Rosie Collington to discuss the consequences of outsourcing tech to the private sector, how it causes governments to lose important capacities to serve the public, and how the push for open government data empowered large tech firms.
Rosie Collington is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London. She’s also the co-author of The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies with Mariana Mazzucato. You can follow Rosie on Twitter at @RosieCollingto.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Rosie wrote a paper called “Disrupting the Welfare State? Digitalisation and the Retrenchment of Public Sector Capacity” for New Political Economy, and a report calling “Digital Public Assets” for Common Wealth.
- Palantir has a massive and controversial contract with the NHS. That hasn’t stopped Peter Thiel from criticizing the UK’s public healthcare system.
- Mar Hicks wrote about the masculinization of the computer workforce in Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing.
The Untold History of Silicon Valley w/ Malcolm Harris
Paris Marx is joined by Malcolm Harris to discuss the sordid history of Silicon Valley, including the long influence of eugenics at Stanford, how Silicon Valley profited from the United States’ wars throughout the 20th century, and why the libertarian narrative of tech hide a much darker reality.
Malcolm Harris is the author of Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World. You can follow Malcolm on Twitter at @BigMeanInternet.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can read an excerpt of Malcolm’s book in The Atlantic.
The Tesla Crash is Only Beginning w/ Edward Niedermeyer
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Niedermeyer to discuss the rollercoaster ride of Tesla’s share price, the escalating regulatory and legal scrutiny the company faces, and the challenges it faces in the electric car market.
Edward Niedermeyer is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and a co-host of The Autonocast. You can follow Edward on Twitter at @Tweetermeyer or on Mastodon at @niedermeyer@sfba.social.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Argo AI shut down in October and Apple pushed back its car project again in December.
- California found “Full Self-Driving” was a misleading term and couldn’t be used in Tesla marketing.
- A Tesla engineer testified that a 2016 video to promote Autopilot was staged.
- Tesla is facing a number of Autopilot cases in the coming months, including an important one in Florida.
- Liza Dixon wrote about “autonowashing”.
- In January, Tesla admitted it was under investigation by the Department of Justice.
- Tesla’s Head of Autopilot Software testifying he doesn’t know what an operational design domain is presents serious red flags.
- Chinese car companies are planning to significantly expand vehicle exports, as BYD is already selling more vehicles in China than Tesla sells globally.
- Since recording, Elon Musk was found not liable in the “funding secured” trial.
Why Hollywood Writers May Strike Over Streaming w/ Anousha Sakoui
Paris Marx is joined by Anousha Sakoui to discuss the prospect of a writer’s strike later this year, what workers are fighting for, and how the move to streaming has affected working conditions and compensation in Hollywood.
Anousha Sakoui is an entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times, covering topics including labor and litigation in Hollywood. She was part of the team that was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist in breaking news for work covering the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. You can follow Anousha on Twitter at @anoushasakoui.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Anousha wrote about how the Writers Guild and Directors Guild are approaching upcoming negotiations with studios.
- David Robb wrote about the history of Writers Guild strikes, and why another one seems overdue.
- WGA West recently blasted Warner Discovery for reducing opportunities for content creators after its merger.
- In 2021, IATSE was poised to go on strike before reaching a last-minute deal with the studios that was accepted by members.
- A new deal will loosen some Covid protocols on film sets.
- In 2021, Apple was paying lower rates to production crews because it said its TV+ service has less than 20 million subscribers. In July 2022, it started paying the higher rate.
- In 2018, the Hollywood Reporter reflected on the 2007 writers strike after ten years.
- The 2007 writers strike helped revive Donald Trump’s flagging The Apprentice show with a spinoff, The Celebrity Apprentice.
Will AR Glasses Die Like Google Glass? w/ Quinn Myers
Paris Marx is joined by Quinn Myers to discuss the launch of Google Glass, why the product failed so badly, and what lessons we can learn from it as tech companies make another push for AR glasses.
Quinn Myers is the author of Google Glass and a freelance writer who used to write for MEL. You can follow him on Twitter at @quinmyers.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Please participate in our listener survey this month to give us a better idea of what you think of the show: https://forms.gle/xayiT7DQJn56p62x7
- Apple is planning to release a mixed-reality headset, but its AR glasses have reported been delayed due to ongoing technical issues.
- Mark Zuckerberg said you’ll be able to text people during a meeting on your glasses.
- Google released a video called “One Day” that vastly overpromised what Glass would deliver.
- Sergey Brin’s affair with an employee working on Glass was revealed in 2013.
- After 8 years, the “Twitter tax cut” finally ended in 2019.
- Residents protested against Google’s use of public bus stops in San Francisco.
- The PRISM revelations showed the NSA had access to tech company servers.
- The Daily Show skewered Google Glass in a 2014 segment.
Don’t Fall for the AI Hype w/ Timnit Gebru
Paris Marx is joined by Timnit Gebru to discuss the misleading framings of artificial intelligence, her experience of getting fired by Google in a very public way, and why we need to avoid getting distracted by all the hype around ChatGPT and AI image tools.
Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute and former co-lead of the Ethical AI research team at Google. You can follow her on Twitter at @timnitGebru.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Please participate in our listener survey this month to give us a better idea of what you think of the show: https://forms.gle/xayiT7DQJn56p62x7
- Timnit wrote about the exploited labor behind AI tools and how effective altruism is pushing a harmful idea of AI ethics.
- Karen Hao broke down the details of the paper that got Timnit fired from Google.
- Emily Tucker wrote an article called “Artifice and Intelligence.”
- In 2016, ProPublica published an article about technology being used to “predict” future criminals that was biased against black people.
- In 2015, Google Photos classified black women as “gorillas.” In 2018, it still hadn’t really been fixed.
- Artists have been protesting AI-generated images that train themselves on their work and threaten their livelihoods.
- OpenAI used Kenyan workers paid less than $2 an hour to try to make ChatGPT less toxic.
- Zachary Loeb described ELIZA in his article about Joseph Weizenbaum’s work and legacy.
What the US-China Divide Means for Tech w/ Louise Matsakis
Paris Marx is joined by Louise Matsakis to discuss the growing divide between the US and China, the long history of Western concern about the East, and why we should pay attention to who these anti-China narratives benefit.
Louise Matsakis is a technology reporter at Semafor who previously worked at NBC News, Rest of World, and Wired. You can follow her on Twitter at @lmatsakis.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Please participate in our listener survey this month to give us a better idea of what you think of the show: https://forms.gle/xayiT7DQJn56p62x7
- Louise wrote about YouTube videos predicting China’s collapse, the rise of Shein, and the prospect of TikTok bans.
- Many US states are banning TikTok from government-issued devices.
- In 2000, Bill Clinton said that trying to place restrictions on the internet was like trying to nail Jello to a wall. China proved him wrong.
- India has already banned TikTok and a number of other Chinese apps.
- Speakers of the Khmer language in Cambodia used voice chat on Messenger because keyboards weren’t designed to work with their language.
- Shein is taking off in Mexico.
Why Tech Billionaires Want to Shape Our Future w/ Rose Eveleth
Paris Marx is joined by Rose Eveleth to discuss the end of her long-running podcast, why thinking about the future is important, and how tech billionaires try to shape our idea of the future to serve their ends.
Rose Eveleth is the creator and host of the Flash Forward podcast and the author of Flash Forward: An Illustrated Guide to Possible (And Not So Possible) Tomorrows. You can follow them on Twitter at @roseveleth.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Please participate in our listener survey this month to give us a better idea of what you think of the show: https://forms.gle/xayiT7DQJn56p62x7
- Elon Musk says Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a big inspiration, but he seems to have missed its message.
- Karen Hao and Gideon Lichfield explained how Facebook’s PR team nitpicked one of their stories
- Books mentioned: Ruha Benjamin’s Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want and Jimmy Soni’s The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley.
- The New York Times recently wrote about a group of Luddite teens.
- Tommy Douglas won CBC’s Greatest Canadian contest for winning public healthcare. You can see the episode here.
The Year in Tech w/ Brian Merchant, Chris Gilliard, & Gita Jackson
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant, Chris Gilliard, and Gita Jackson to discuss the year in tech, including Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, the biggest stories of the year, what they’ll be watching in 2023, and the worst person in tech of 2022.
Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device and Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech. Chris Gilliard is a Just Tech Fellow at the Social Science Research Council. Gita Jackson is a tech and culture journalist. You can follow them on Twitter at @bcmerchant, @hypervisible, and @xoxogossipgita.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about Netflix and streaming services for Business Insider.
- Brian wrote about how 2022 was a disastrous year for the tech industry for The Atlantic.
- Chris and Kishonna Gray wrote about digital migration and what it means for Black users for Wired.
- Gita wrote a review of Dwarf Fortress’s Stream release.
- Part of the show discusses a Twitter policy that was briefly launched to restrict sharing of links from several other social media platforms. It was rescinded after the initial discussion.
FTX Goes to Zero w/ Molly White
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss the ongoing collapse of the crypto industry, what to make of the implosion of FTX and Alameda Research, and what happens next with Sam Bankman-Fried.
Molly White is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great and a fellow at the Harvard Library Innovation Lab. You can follow her on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Since recording, Sam Bankman-Fried has been extradited from the Bahamas to the United States, and it’s been revealed that Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder have plead guilty and are cooperating with authorities against Bankman-Fried.
- Molly has been analyzing the collapse of FTX on her newsletter.
- Paris wrote about effective altruism and longtermism for the New Statesman.
- Journalists at Forbes wrote about Caroline Ellison and her history.
- After Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested, effective altruist Kelsey Piper published a series of direct messages she exchanged with her supposed friend.
- The Southern District of New York’s attorney’s office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have all filed charges against Sam Bankman-Fried.
- There are rumors that Caroline Ellison is working with authorities against Sam Bankman-Fried.
- US Justice Department is split on when to charge Binance executives. There are also growing questions about Binance’s books.
Tech Billionaires Are Coming for Workers w/ Wendy Liu
Paris Marx is joined by Wendy Liu to discuss what it was like to work in tech in the 2010s and why structural changes in the industry are empowering an increasingly reactionary capitalist class to strike back at workers and upend the expectations of the boom period.
Wendy Liu is a writer and the author of Abolish Silicon Valley: How to Liberate Technology from Capitalism. You can follow her on Twitter at @dellsystem.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Casey Newton and Zoe Schiffer wrote about how tech CEOs are inspired by what Musk is doing at Twitter
- Mel Krantzler and Patricia Krantzler wrote Down and Out in Silicon Valley: The High Cost of the High-tech Dream
- Jacob Silverman wrote about David Sacks and the reactionary turn of tech billionaires
- Paris wrote about how longtermism is designed to justify the position of billionaires in society
- Julia Black wrote about the embrace of pronatalism within the tech industry
Trusting Tech Billionaires is a Recipe for Disaster w/ Douglas Rushkoff
Paris Marx is joined by Douglas Rushkoff to discuss why internet visions of the 1990s were wrong to ignore corporate power, how the dot-com boom was like a Ponzi scheme, and why we desperately need to stop elevating tech billionaires.
Douglas Rushkoff is an author and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age. His most recent book is Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires and he’s the host of Team Human podcast. You can follow him on Twitter at @rushkoff.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt from Survival of the Richest was published in The Guardian.
- Paris was recently on the Team Human podcast to discuss Road to Nowhere with Douglas.
Tech Isn’t Fixing the Crisis on Our Streets w/ David Zipper
Paris Marx is joined by David Zipper to discuss how Silicon Valley pitched new technologies as the fix for a whole range of transport problems, and how that really just distracted us from solutions while allowing issues like road deaths, emissions, and traffic to get even worse.
David Zipper is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government and a contributing writer at Bloomberg CityLab. You can find his articles and sign up for his newsletter at DavidZipper.com and follow him on Twitter at @DavidZipper.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- David wrote about why traffic safety is getting worse in the US, and compared it to Canada, Finland, France, and Japan. He also wrote about the history of self-driving cars, the danger posed to pedestrians on the roads, the problem with infotainment systems, and what’s wrong with positioning car tech as the solution to our problems.
- Paris wrote about how Elon Musk designed the Hyperloop to try to get California’s high-speed line canceled.
- AAA puts the annual cost of car ownership in the US at over $10,000 a year in 2022. In Canada, CAA put it at $8600 to $13,000 a year in 2017 — a number that is surely even higher now.
- Peter Norton wrote about how the auto industry took over US roads in the early 1900s in Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City.
Why Advertising Shapes the Tech Economy w/ Daniel Joseph
Paris Marx is joined by Daniel Joseph to discuss why advertising is central not just to the tech economy, but modern capitalism itself, and how the business models of companies are increasing shaped by serving ads and collecting data to inform them.
Daniel Joseph is a Senior Lecturer of Digital Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He’s also written for a number of publications, including Briarpatch Magazine, Motherboard, and Real Life Magazine. Follow Daniel on Twitter at @DanjoKaz00ie.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Daniel wrote about how advertising and the need to create audiences is much more central to the tech economy than is often discussed.
- Shoshana Wodinsky explained why so many companies are getting into advertising, including hotel chains, retailers, and more.
- Unity faced criticism for merging with IronSource, a known advertising malware distributor.
- After reporting a subscriber decline earlier this year, Netflix launched an ad-supported tier in October.
- Companies like Apple and Uber are expanding their efforts to increase advertising revenue.
- Ramon Lobato wrote Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution.
Why Visual Effects Look the Way They Do w/ Julie Turnock
Paris Marx is joined by Julie Turnock to discuss the history of the visual effects industry, the role that George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic played in setting industry standards, and what its current form dominated by Disney means for visual effects workers.
Julie Turnock is an associate professor of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the author of The Empire of Effects: Industrial Light and Magic and the Rendering of Realism. Follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieTurnock.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris will be speaking at Marxism Festival in Dublin on November 19, the Lighthouse Bookshop on November 24, and details on an event in London on November 25 are coming soon.
- In a series of recent articles, visual effects workers have been speaking out about conditions in the industry.
- The Mandalorian introduced ILM and Disney’s new visual effect technology dubbed “Stagecraft” that uses LED video walls instead of green screens.
- The declining quality of effects in major films is forcing people to look at labor and production practices.
- Disney accounted for nearly 40% of box office returns in 2019, and made 80% of the top earning films of the year.
Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover is a Disaster w/ Hussein Kesvani
Paris Marx is joined by Hussein Kesvani to discuss the mess of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, the problem with his solution to blue check privilege, and what we should learn from how he posts.
Hussein Kesvani is a journalist and the co-host of Trashfuture and Ten Thousand Posts. Follow Hussein on Twitter at @hkesvani.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about Elon Musk’s new plan to allow users to pay $8 to get a blue check, priority on their posts, and other features as part of an updated Twitter Blue.
- Private texts revealed from the Delaware court showed the rich and powerful groveling to Elon Musk.
- A long list of companies have stopped advertising on Twitter after Musk’s takeover. He blamed it on activists.
- Roko’s Basilisk brought Elon Musk and Grimes together.
- Elon Musk has decreed that people making fun of him by impersonating him on Twitter will be banned.
Tech Billionaires Are Reshaping US Politics w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, the politics of the PayPal Mafia tech billionaires, and how they’re trying to reshape US political discourse to serve themselves.
Jacob Silverman is a journalist who writes for The New Republic, The Baffler, Slate, and many others. He’s also the co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud with Ben McKenzie. Follow Jacob on Twitter at @SilvermanJacob.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about Musk’s Twitter acquisition for The Baffler and the politics of David Sacks and these other tech billionaires for The New Republic.
- Paris wrote about Musk’s Twitter acquisition for NBC News and Marc Andreessen’s housing politics for Business Insider.
- The Delaware court case revealed text messages between Elon Musk and all the people trying to gain his favor.
- Saudi Arabia had an intelligence operation running through Twitter, which led some former employees to be charged with spying. Saudi Arabia has imprisoned people over their tweets.
- There were accusations that Twitter had an Indian official associated with the far-right Modi government on payroll.
- Banks are expecting to suffer major losses on the loans provided to Musk to acquire Twitter.
- The LA Times reported that Twitter bots helped build the cult of Musk.
- In 2016, Thiel and Sacks’ Diversity Myth comments were resurrected and Thiel has to issue a statement.
Mark Zuckerberg is Burning Meta to the Ground w/ Dave Karpf
Paris Marx is joined by Dave Karpf to discuss Meta’s misguided attempt to turn Facebook into a metaverse company, how Wired Magazine has evolved, and why the tech billionaires are destroying the world.
Dave Karpf is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University. He’s also the author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy and Analytic Activism: Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy. Follow Dave on Twitter at @davekarpf.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Dave wrote about the history of WIRED Magazine’s future predictions and why VR never dies.
- People Make Games made a video looking at what’s going on in VRChat.
- Meta’s legs demo wasn’t real.
- Douglas Rushkoff’s new book Survival of the Richest looks at how the rich are trying to protect themselves from the crises they’re making worse.
- Science fiction books mentioned: Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, and William Gibson’s The Peripheral.
Don’t Fall for the Longtermism Sales Pitch w/ Émile P. Torres
Paris Marx is joined by Émile P. Torres to discuss the ongoing effort to sell effective altruism and longtermism to the public, and why they’re philosophies that won’t solve the real problems we face.
Émile P. Torres is a PhD candidate at Leibniz University Hannover and the author of the forthcoming book Human Extinction: A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation. Follow Émile on Twitter at @xriskology.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Émile recently wrote about the ongoing effort to sell longtermism and effective altruism to the public.
- Peter Singer wrote an article published in 1972 arguing that rich people need to give to charity, which went on to influence effective altruists.
- NYT recently opined on whether it’s ethical for lawyers to defend climate villains.
- Nathan Robinson recently criticized effective altruism for Current Affairs.
How Tech is Remaking the Food System w/ Jim Thomas
Paris Marx is joined by Jim Thomas to discuss how digital technologies are being integrated into the industrial food system, how it empowers agribusiness firms and major tech companies, and its implications for farmers and farm workers.
Jim Thomas is the research director at ETC Group, which has over 25 years international experience tracking the impact of emerging technologies on human rights, biodiversity, equity and food systems. Follow Jim on Twitter at @jimetc or follow @ETC_Group.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- ETC Group recently released its Food Barons 2022 report, providing a snapshot of the world’s the biggest players up and down the industrial food and agriculture chain, with a lot of insight on the use of technologies throughout the food system.
- The ETC Group has also put together a children’s book and video to make information about the digital takeover of food more accessible.
- The war in Ukraine is only exacerbating preexisting problems in the global food system.
- The Gates Foundation uses its vast wealth to shape the global food system so it works as Bill Gates wants it to and benefits major agribusiness and tech companies. Groups in Africa have long been speaking out about Gates’ plans for agriculture on the continent.
- The UN finds that food systems are responsible for 80% of deforestation, 29% of emissions, and a leading share of biodiversity loss. It also reports that 70% of the world’s agricultural land is owned by 1% of all farms, mainly large agribusiness firms.
- The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems put together a report on what a long food movement could look like.
Why Green Capitalism Won’t Fix Climate Change w/ Adrienne Buller
Paris Marx is joined by Adrienne Buller to discuss how the tech and finance industries are selling us false solutions to the climate crisis that are designed for their own benefit.
Adrienne Buller is the Director of Research at Common Wealth and the author of The Value of a Whale: On the Illusions of Green Capitalism. Follow Adrienne on Twitter at @adribuller.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Adrienne originally wrote about the problem with the finance industry’s approach to climate change for Novara Media. She recently wrote about the failure of green capitalism for the Guardian and the power BlackRock wields for Jacobin.
- Common Wealth recently produced a report on Asset Management Capitalism.
- Elon Musk called ESG a scam after Tesla was booted from the S&P 500’s ESG fund.
- Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen wrote The Imperial Mode of Living: Everyday Life and the Ecological Crisis of Capitalism.
Why Google’s Toronto Smart City Failed w/ Josh O'Kane
Paris Marx is joined by Josh O’Kane to discuss how Sidewalk Labs decided to build a city “from the internet up” in Toronto, the concerns that existed with the project, and why it ultimately fell apart.
Josh O’Kane is an award-winning technology reporter at the Globe and Mail and the author of Sideways: The City Google Couldn't Buy. Follow Josh on Twitter at @joshokane.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of Josh’s book was published in the Globe and Mail.
- Josh wrote about how Canada’s Liberal government under Justin Trudeau isn’t as friendly with tech companies as it was earlier in its time in power.
- Around the time of Sidewalk Toronto, opponents were able to defeat Amazon’s HQ2 project in New York, Google’s Berlin startup hub, Apple’s planned central Stockholm store, and its planned store in Melbourne’s Fed Square.
- Bianca Wylie was one of the prominent critics of the project, and was called the “Jane Jacobs of the smart city.”
- In 2019, documents leaked showing Sidewalk Labs wanted a lot more power and access to more land than was agreed upon, and that further fueled opposition.
- In May 2020, Wylie wrote about the cancelation of the project and the lessons that should be learned.
Science Fiction As Tech Criticism w/ Brian Merchant and Claire Evans
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant and Claire Evans to discuss their new science fiction anthology, how it uses the genre to critically interrogate the technologies being rolled out around us, and how it pushes back on the desire of tech billionaires to use science fiction to get the public to buy into their corporate futures.
Brian Merchant is a tech journalist and author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone. Claire L. Evans is the author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet and singer of the Grammy-nominated pop group YACHT. They are the cofounders of Terraform at VICE's Motherboard and the co-editors of Terraform: Watch/Worlds/Burn. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant and follow Claire at @TheUniverse.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Brian and Claire wrote about their science fiction anthology and what you can expect from it.
- Some of the stories mentioned in our conversation are “Busy” by Omar El Akkad, “One Day, I Will Die on Mars” by Paul Ford, and “Devolution” by Ellen Ullman.
- Brian also wrote about the metaverse and the science fiction that inspired it for Vice.
- Langdon Winner wrote about the concept of epistemological Luddism in his book Autonomous Technology. Zachary Loeb expanded on it in a great essay called “Luddism for These Ludicrous Times.”
- Cory Doctorow wrote about science fiction being a Luddite literature.
Electric Vehicles Are Driving a Mining Boom w/ Thea Riofrancos
Paris Marx is joined by Thea Riofrancos to discuss how the push for electric vehicles is driving governments in the United States and Europe to onshore mining after decades of doing the reverse, what that means for companies in the sector, and how movements are pushing back against this resource-intensive vision for a green transition.
Thea Riofrancos is an Andrew Carnegie Fellow, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, and a member of the Climate + Community Project. She’s also the author of Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador. Follow Thea on Twitter at @triofrancos.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Thea wrote about the push to onshore mining activities and what it means for climate justice, and recently published an academic article on the “security-sustainability nexus” relating to lithium onshoring.
- EV raw material costs doubled during the pandemic, forcing many automakers to raise prices.
- A lithium mine in Portugal was scrapped after local opposition, but other projects continue to move ahead.
- The US Inflation Reduction Act included many benefits for mining companies and tied EV tax credits to mineral supply chains.
Surveillance Won’t Protect Students w/ Chris Gilliard
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss the push to expand surveillance technologies in schools during the pandemic and in response to school shootings, and why they’re making life worse for students without addressing the problems they claim to solve.
Chris Gilliard is Just Tech Fellow at the Social Science Research Council at a recurring columnist at Wired. Follow Chris on Twitter at @hypervisible.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Chris recently wrote about why school surveillance won’t protect kids from shootings.
- Chris and David Golumbia wrote about luxury surveillance for Real Life.
- Pia Ceres wrote about how students’ school devices are still tracking what they do on them.
- Amazon is launching a new show called “Ring Nation” to make Ring surveillance videos seem less invasive.
- Studies by the Center for Democracy and Technology have found negative effects from surveillance on student expression and increasing their contact with police.
- After nine members of Axon’s AI ethics board resigned, plans for a taser drone in schools seem to still be inching forward.
- Todd Feathers reported on how school monitoring tools could flag searches for sexual and reproductive health resources.
- Pasco County in Florida deployed a predictive policing system targeting children.
- Some books mentioned: David Noble Progress Without People and Forces of Production, and Dan Greene wrote The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope.
Amazon’s Highly Subsidized Foray Into Middle-Earth w/ Thomas Coughlan
Paris Marx is joined by Thomas Coughlan to discuss Amazon’s foray into Tolkien’s fantasy world, the big subsidies it received to film in New Zealand, and how its decision to move the series to the UK is giving fuel to demands to reassess the support for Hollywood productions.
Thomas Coughlan is a senior political reporter at NZ Herald, and formerly was a journalist at Stuff and Newsroom. Follow Thomas on Twitter at @coughlthom.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Thomas wrote for Stuff about the effort by the New Zealand government to attract Amazon to New Zealand and how it hoped the relationship would go beyond the TV series. For the NZ Herald, he also wrote that Amazon’s decision to move the series away from New Zealand will have implications for tourism and wasn’t communicated to the government until the last minute.
- Benjamin Clark wrote about how film subsidies have been essential to attracted big Hollywood productions to New Zealand.
- Madelaine Chapman dug into how much Peter Jackson has benefited from those subsidy schemes.
- Amazon is spending about $464 million on the first season of The Rings of Power.
- Amazon announced it was moving future seasons of the show to the UK in August 2021, causing frustration in New Zealand.
- There were concerns about safety on the set of The Rings of Power after stunt workers were injured and they didn’t seem to be properly reported to authorities.
- In November 2021, Unity acquired the technology division of Jackson’s Weta Digital.
- There’s also a growing debate in New Zealand over whether it should be the site of major data centers.
Who’s Winning in China’s Fight Against 996? w/ JS Tan
Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss how Chinese tech workers fought against “996” work practices and whether the its phaseout is being driven by that movement or by the changing needs of the government and tech companies.
JS Tan is a graduate student at MIT, a former tech worker, and a member of Collective Action in Tech, a project to advance the tech worker movement. Follow JS on Twitter at @organizejs.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- JS wrote about why China’s 996 work schedules are changing and the factors driving it.
- Rest of World also had recent reporting on changes to 996 practices.
- Collective Action in Tech has an embedded organizer program that is open for applications.
- The Verge wrote about Justin Sun, a controversial figure in crypto.
- In 2020, Ant Group's US IPO was canceled.
- China has launched a number of policies to crack down on its tech industry in recent years.
How the Modem World Shaped the Internet w/ Kevin Driscoll
Paris Marx is joined by Kevin Driscoll to discuss the networks and services built by volunteers and hobbyists on top of the telephone network before the internet took over the in the 1990s, and what it can teach us about the internet and social media today.
Kevin Driscoll is the author of The Modem World: A Prehistory of Social Media and an associate professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. Follow Kevin on Twitter at @kevindriscoll.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kevin wrote about The Modem World in Wired.
- textfiles.com is a good source for historical documents about the modem world.
- Find out more about Paris’ event with Sabrina Fernandes in Berlin on August 26!
Keep Capitalism Out of Space w/ Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Paris Marx is joined by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein to discuss the science behind the new space telescope, the problems with the billionaire space race, and why we need to challenge the capitalist and colonial forces driving the the effort to commercialize space.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is the author of The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred. She’s also an assistant professor of Physics and core faculty member in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire, and a columnist at New Scientist and Physics World. Follow Chanda on Twitter at @IBJIYONGI.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Chanda wrote “Becoming Martian” for the Baffler earlier this year, and called last year for the James Webb Space Telescope to be renamed.
- Paris wrote about the billionaire space race for Tribune Magazine.
- Of the five initial images released from the JW Space Telescope, Chanda described the First Deep Field and noted the accessibility of its alt-text on Twitter.
- As part of Joe Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia in July 2022, the country signed onto the Artemis Accords. The Accords have faced criticism as a US-centric and commercial set of bilateral agreements that seek to set new norms beyond international law.
- Saturday Night Live made fun of the billionaire space race.
- In July, the head of Roscosmos indicated it planned to pull out of the International Space Station, though an official notice has not been made. The segment Paris mentioned on AlJazeera can be found here.
- Starlink is undemocratically altering how we see the night sky, which some Indigenous groups are calling “astro-colonialism.”
- Gil Scott-Heron released “Whitey on the Moon” in 1970.
- Chanda called attention to the Just Space Alliance.
Competition Won’t Fix Canada’s Telecom Woes w/ Fenwick McKelvey
Paris Marx is joined by Fenwick McKelvey to discuss the massive outage at Rogers, why it’s challenging the narrative that more competition will fix Canada’s telecom sector, and the need for better regulation and even public ownership.
Fenwick McKelvey is the author of Internet Daemons: Digital Communications Possessed. He’s also an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University and a director of Machine Agencies at the Milieu Institute. Follow Fenwick on Twitter at @mckelveyf.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Fenwick spoke to CBC about the Rogers outage and previously spoke to Daniel Joseph about changing the way we think about media platforms in Canada.
- Paris has previously argued for telecom nationalization in Canada and has written about the history of Canadian telecom.
- After the outage, Canadian innovation minister François-Philippe Champagne forced telcos to come up with a new agreement on several key areas of emergency cooperation.
- The Competition Bureau is objecting to a proposed merger between Rogers and Shaw.
- Last year, the Rogers family was engaged in a protracted feud that affected management of the company.
- ZeD was an “open-source television” series aired by Canada’s public broadcaster from 2002 to 2006.
The Real Legacy of Stewart Brand w/ Malcolm Harris
Paris Marx is joined by Malcolm Harris to discuss the legacy of Stewart Brand and why the myth we’re often told about him overstates the reality of his impact.
Malcolm Harris is the author of Kids These Days, Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit, and his forthcoming book Palo Alto. He also writes for New York Magazine. Follow Malcolm on Twitter at @BigMeanInternet.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Malcolm Harris wrote a critical review of John Markoff’s Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand.
- Benjamin Kunkel also wrote a critical review of Whole Earth.
- The Stewart Brand documentary We Are As Gods about his quest to bring back wholly mammoths to solve climate change is slowly being rolled out after two years of delay and seeming lack of sales interest.
- Brand’s Long Now Foundation is building a 10,000-year clock in Texas that’s funded by Jeff Bezos.
- We also mention Fred Turner’s From Counterculture to Cyberculture.
How the Cloud Reshaped the Internet w/ Dwayne Monroe
Paris Marx is joined by Dwayne Monroe to discuss what it’s like to work in a data center, how the cloud came to hold a dominant position, and the consequences of its control by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
Dwayne Monroe is a cloud technologist and aspiring Marxist theorist of technology, with twenty years of experience architecting large-scale computational systems. Follow Dwayne on Twitter at @cloudquistador.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Dwayne wrote about cloud computing for Logic Magazine. He’s also written about a public cloud and the metaverse on his blog.
- Amazon’s cloud infrastructure in the eastern United States experienced a major outage in December 2021.
- Residents in various parts of the world have been questioning the logic of building data centers, including in the United States and New Zealand.
- In July, the network of Canadian telecom giant Rogers went down, leaving millions without service.
The Dangers of Tech that Tracks Everything We Do w/ Shoshana Wodinsky
Paris Marx is joined by Shoshana Wodinsky to discuss how the digital infrastructure that companies have built out over the past couple decades to track everything we do in order to serve us ads places us at risk, and how that’s come into focus since the overturning of abortion rights in Roe v Wade in the United States.
Shoshana Wodinsky is a privacy reporter at Gizmodo. Follow Shoshana on Twitter at @swodinsky.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Shoshana wrote about getting an abortion in the age of surveillance and why every company is becoming an ad network. With her colleagues at Gizmodo, she also wrote about how Facebook perpetuated climate denial and killed news feed changes that would anger conservatives.
- Anti-abortion groups targeted ads at people who had visited abortion clinics.
- Data brokers have been selling data on people who visit abortion clinics, including Planned Parenthood.
Tech Won’t Fix the Transport System w/ Paris Marx
In a special episode to celebrate the release of host Paris Marx’s new book Road to Nowhere, Brian Merchant takes over as guest host to interview Paris about the book, the tech industry’s visions for transportation, and why they don’t solve our mobility challenges.
Paris is the host of Tech Won’t Save Us and the author of Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation. Brian Merchant is a tech journalist, author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone, and co-editor of Terraform: Watch/Worlds/Burn. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Road to Nowhere is available anywhere you buy books, but Verso has it discounted until July 8 as part of its Summer Reads sale.
- An excerpt of Road to Nowhere about the dystopian future the tech industry is creating was recently published in Wired.
- Paris recently spoke to StreetsBlog USA about the problem with Apple CarPlay.
15 Years of the iPhone w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the impact of the iPhone after 15 years, including its effects on how we work, how we use technology, and what it’s meant for Apple.
Brian Merchant is a tech journalist, author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone, and co-editor of Terraform: Watch/Worlds/Burn. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In 2011, Cory Moll tried to unionize Apple stores. In June 2022, a store in Maryland became the first to vote to form a union.
- Apple’s claims about privacy are, at least to some degree, a clever marketing campaign.
- Paris previously wrote about some of Apple’s environmental messaging.
- The previous episode with Brian on the iPhone is episode 78 (Sep 16, 2021), and I also spoke to Jenny Chan about the conditions at Foxconn factories where iPhones are manufactured on episode 27 (Sep 17, 2020).
Canada’s Digital Contact-Tracing Experiment w/ Bianca Wylie
To kick off a new monthly bonus series on tech in Canada, Paris Marx is joined by Bianca Wylie to discuss Canada’s COVID Alert app, the problems with the digital contract-tracing experiment, and why we need a public post-mortem so lessons are learned for next time.
Bianca Wylie is a partner at Digital Public, a co-founder of Tech Reset Canada, and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Follow Bianca on Twitter at @biancawylie.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- This series on Canadian tech is made in partnership with Passage, a left-wing publication in Canada. Passage published an edited transcript of the conversation.
- On June 17, 2022, Health Canada decommissioned the COVID Alert app.
- In April, Bianca wrote that the government needed to shut down the COVID Alert app because it wasn’t working (if it ever had). She also began writing a series on the app on her Medium blog that month.
- In July 2020, Bianca and her colleague Sean Mcdonald were already asking questions about the app and the planning around it.
- Other digital contact-tracing apps were launched in many other countries, including Australia, France, and Iceland, with poor results.
Technology of the Oppressed w/ David Nemer
Paris Marx is joined by David Nemer to discuss how residents of Brazil’s favelas reshape technologies developed in the Global North to serve their needs, and how technology alone does not solve social oppression.
David Nemer is an assistant professor in the Department of Media Studies and in the Latin American Studies program at the University of Virginia. He’s also the author of Technology of the Oppressed: Inequity and the Digital Mundane in Favelas of Brazil. Follow David on Twitter at @DavidNemer.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris’ new book Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation is out on July 5! It’s currently on sale at Verso Books.
- Ahead of hosting the World Cup, Brazil forced thousands of favela residents from their homes.
- Grace Blakeley recent spoke to David Adler about Colombia’s election and the use of TikTok.
- Dan Greene wrote The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope and Lindsay Ems wrote Virtually Amish: Preserving Community at the Internet's Margins.
Streaming Wars: Revenge of the Cinema? w/ Gita Jackson
Paris Marx is joined by Gita Jackson to discuss how streaming has altered the film and television industry, what happens as their business models are coming under question, and whether cinemas have reason to celebrate streaming’s woes.
Gita Jackson is a staff writer at Motherboard, Vice’s tech vertical. Follow Gita on Twitter at @xoxogossipgita.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Gita wrote about why Eternals was still bad even though it was diverse, Netflix laying off Tudum writers, and some of the challenges Netflix faces.
- Paris wrote about the end of the Paramount Decrees, the need to break up the media giants, and the problem with the new Spider-Man movies.
- EA considered a merger with NBC Universal, and had talks with other companies.
- Raven Software at Activision Blizzard and Bioware contractors at Keywords Studios have voted to unionize. Microsoft’s Phil Spencer said the company would recognize the Raven Software union if its acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through.
- CNN+ was shut down after a few weeks of operation.
- Netflix is changing its content investment strategy as investors lose confidence.
- Netflix’s share price plummeted in April after reporting it lost subscribers. The following week, the cinema celebrated the negative turn on streaming at CinemaCon.
- The Mandalorian pioneered a new kind of film set with massive LED screens instead of green screen.
Privatizing the Internet Was a Mistake w/ Ben Tarnoff
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff to discuss why the problems with the modern internet, including its excessive concentration in the hands of a few companies and the way its dominant firms shape our interactions to generate profit, find their root in the decision to privatize the network. To fix them, that needs to be changed.
Ben Tarnoff is the author of Internet for the People: The Fight for Our Digital Future and the co-founder of Logic Magazine. Follow Ben on Twitter at @bentarnoff.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of Ben’s book was published in the New York Times.
- Victor Pickard wrote about the history of public media in Democracy Without Journalism.
- Newt Gingrich and George Gilder, once featured by Wired for their visions for the internet, have now become big crypto fans.
- The United States has terrible broadband access.
- Major tech companies are buying up undersea internet cables.
- Tarleton Gillespie wrote about the politics of platforms and what the term suggests.
- Jathan Sadowski compares platforms to shopping malls.
- Tressie McMillan Cottom wrote about the predatory inclusion of the internet.
- Community internet has shown success in the United States, while provincial public telcos have a history of positive outcomes in Canada.
Tech Media Needs to Do Better on Crypto and Elon Musk w/ Ed Zitron
Paris Marx is joined by Ed Zitron for a wide-ranging discussion on the responsibility tech media has to its readers, the problems with crypto, and why bosses like Elon Musk are desperate to force workers back into the office.
Ed Zitron is the CEO of EZPR and writes the Where’s Your Ed At newsletter. Follow Ed on Twitter at @edzitron.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- New Tech Won’t Save Us merch is now available in our store (including tote bags!).
- Ed wrote about the problem with Kara Swisher’s aggressive response to a listener asking why Pivot had run an ad telling people to put their retirement savings into crypto. (Listen to the ad here.)
- Elon Musk wrote a set of emails telling workers they need to return to the office for a *minimum* of 40 hours a week, or they can “pretend to work elsewhere.”
- Ed has written many times about employers pushing their workers back to the office.
- In March, Kevin Roose wrote a Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto, and Ed was one of the critics that Molly White got to contribute to an edited version.
- Sam Harnett wrote an essay on how the early, uncritical coverage of the gig economy helped legitimize its exploitative business model.
The Dangerous Ideology of the Tech Elite w/ Émile P. Torres
Paris Marx is joined by Émile P. Torres to discuss why longtermism isn’t just about long-term thinking, but provides a framework for Silicon Valley billionaires to justify ignoring the crises facing humanity so they can accumulate wealth and go after space colonization.
Émile P. Torres is a PhD candidate at Leibniz University Hannover and the author of the forthcoming book Human Extinction: A History of Thinking About the End of Humanity. Follow Phil on Twitter at @xriskology.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Émile wrote about the dangers presented by longtermism and its relationship to Elon Musk.
- Paris wrote about Jeff Bezos’ vision of life in space and why Elon Musk is planning for climate catastrophe.
- Elon Musk was tweeting about birth rates again (he has some odd views on who should be having kids) and retweeted someone praising a paper by longtermist Nick Bostrom.
- After moving to Texas, its governor said Elon Musk liked the state’s “social policies” (in reference to abortion limitations) to little pushback, then Musk forced California employees to move to Texas.
(Un)Stablecoins and the Crypto Crash w/ Bennett Tomlin
Paris Marx is joined by Bennett Tomlin to discuss last week’s crash of Terra and Luna, the problems with stablecoins, and whether this collapse will finally force regulators to take action on cryptocurrency.
Bennett Tomlin is a co-host of Crypto Critics’ Corner and writer of the FUD Letter. Follow Bennett on Twitter at @BennettTomlin.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the Terra/Luna collapse and why we can’t let those who promoted crypto scams escape blame for their actions.
- Bennett references George Soros’ attack on the British pound in 1992, also known as Black Wednesday.
- Do Kwan was behind the failed Basis Cash stablecoin.
- Vitalik Buterin backed a proposal for an FDIC-like response to rescue “small holders” who lost money in the Luna collapse.
- Investors recently pulled $7 billion out of Tether, which still won’t be open about its reserves. It was hacked in 2017.
- FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried described yield farming as a Ponzi scheme.
- Justin Sun has already launched a copycat of the failed Terra algorithmic stablecoin. The Verge did a deep dive on him in March.
- a16z says the crypto winter is here.
The Argument for Half-Earth Socialism w/ Drew Pendergrass & Troy Vettese
Paris Marx is joined by Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese to discuss the environmental crises of climate change and mass extinction we face, and why taking them seriously while providing for everyone requires a radical change to how we structure society.
Drew Pendergrass is a PhD candidate in environmental engineering at Harvard University and Troy Vettese is an environmental historian and a Max Weber fellow at the European University Institute. They are the co-authors of Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. Follow them on Twitter at @pendergrassdrew and @TroyVettese.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Earth is currently undergoing its sixth major extinction, due to the actions of humans on the planet.
- The most recent IPCC report looked at demand-side solutions to the climate crisis.
- The meat industry is responsible for double the emissions of plant-based foods, as well as for an enormous amount of water and 80% of all agricultural land.
- Aaron Benanav is the author of Automation and the Future of Work.
- There is also a Half-Earth Socialism videogame on half.earth.
How IBM Workers Took On Racism and Apartheid w/ ann haeyoung
Paris Marx is joined by ann haeyoung to discuss IBM worker organizing in the 1970s and 1980s against racism and apartheid, and how those stories are important to informing tech organizing in the present.
ann haeyoung is a media artist interested in technology and labor. She is also a former tech worker and organizer, and a graduate student at UCLA.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- ann wrote about IBM organizing for Wired, and put together a four-part series on her research for Tech Workers Coalition.
- Science for the People published an article about tech worker organizing in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Logic Magazine spoke to Joan Greenbaum about the early days of tech worker organizing.
- Tech Won’t Save Us is looking for a producer.
The Financialization of Everything w/ Edward Ongweso Jr.
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition, how technology is enabling an extension of speculation and gambling, and why those pressures need to be opposed.
Edward Ongweso Jr. is a staff writer at Motherboard/Vice and a co-host of This Machine Kills. Follow Edward on Twitter at @bigblackjacobin.
🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Edward wrote about Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition and the casino economy we increasingly find ourselves in.
- Paris wrote about Elon’s Twitter purchase for Jacobin before it was confirmed, and Tribune afterward.
- Max Read also wrote about the acquisition and what it might mean.
- CNN spoke to meme stock traders who made a lot of money and the difficulty of what came after.
- TrueAnon did a recently episode on mobile gambling.
- Tim Hwang wrote “Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet.”
We Can’t Allow Tech Solutions to Delay Climate Action w/ Molly Taft
Paris Marx is joined by Molly Taft to discuss why we need to act now to reduce emissions, what role carbon removal technologies can play, and how Silicon Valley is trying to shift our focus to future technologies rather than taking drastic action today.
Molly Taft is a staff writer at Earther. Follow Molly on Twitter at @mollytaft.
🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly wrote about the dire warnings in the most recent IPCC report and why we need to be paying attention to carbon removal technologies.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.”
- Groups are urging the United States and European Union not to invest in new fossil fuel infrastructure and production.
- Canada approved Bay du Nord, a new deep-sea oil project in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Major tech companies, especially Amazon, have been helping oil companies extract more oil. Microsoft has also been helping them oppressively manage their workforces.
- Kate Aronoff explained part of the problem with Bill Gates’ approach to climate change.
Who’s to Blame When a Self-Driving Car Kills Someone? w/ Lauren Smiley
Paris Marx is joined by Lauren Smiley to discuss what we’ve learned about the Uber crash since in happened in March 2018, what that’s meant for the vehicle operator who’s been charged, and whether the justice system made the right call in blaming her instead of Uber.
Lauren Smiley is a WIRED contributor and freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Follow Laren on Twitter at @laurensmiley.
🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Lauren interviewed Rafaela Vasquez and dug into the substance of the past four years of information on the Uber crash for WIRED.
- Last summer, Vasquez’ legal team argued the grand jury hadn’t heard to full version of events before indicting her.
- In 2019, the NTSB’s final report placed primary blame on the operator, but secondary blame on Uber, the pedestrian, and the state.
- In 2015, Lauren wrote about the “shut-in economy” and social divides being entrenched by on-demand services.
How to Unionize Amazon w/ Justine Medina & Karen Ponce
Paris Marx is joined by Justine Medina and Karen Ponce to discuss how the Amazon Labor Union succeeded in unionizing Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, what it’s like working for Amazon, and where the movement to unionize Amazon goes next.
Justine Medina is a packer at the JFK8 warehouse and is on the organizing committee of the Amazon Labor Union. Karen Ponce is a stower at JFK8 and the interim secretary of Amazon Labor Union. Follow Justine on Twitter at @jnmedina8989 and Karen at @Karennn_928.
🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can support the Amazon Labor Union by donating to its Solidarity Fund.
- Justine spoke to Labor Notes and wrote about why the ALU won.
- The ALU is making 8 immediate demands of Amazon.
- Chair of the ALU’s Worker Committee Angelika Maldonado spoke to Jacobin about the union win.
- Lauren Kaori Gurley wrote about the Amazon Labor Union’s successful union vote at JFK8.
- In early 2020, Amazon fired Chris Smalls and tried to smear him as “not smart or articulate,” but their internal memos leaked.
- Jacobin and Briarpatch published articles on the need to salt at Amazon.
- Chris Smalls says workers from 50 facilities have contacted the ALU.
- The ALU is demanding to meet with Amazon in early May to begin bargaining.
- Amazon is planning to ban a ton of words in its chat app.
- Amazon forcing people to work in warehouses without air conditioning was a scandal in 2011.
Web3 is Not Going Great w/ Molly White
Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss the big Axie Infinity hack, what’s wrong with the New York Times’ Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto, and what Molly’s years as a Wikipedia editor have taught her about the problem with web3’s vision of total commercialization.
Molly White is a software engineer and the creator of web3 is going just great. Follow Molly on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.
🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Molly and a bunch of other crypto critics put together an (Edited) Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto.
- You can read Kevin Roose’s original Latecomer’s Guide here.
- Molly wrote about the $625 million Axie Infinity hack and harassment on the blockchain.
- Interest in NFTs and their values have plummeted in recent months.
- Tech Won’t Save Us has a new website. Check it out at techwontsave.us.
Digital Tech Didn’t Democratize the Film Industry w/ Will Tavlin
Paris Marx is joined by Will Tavlin to discuss the history of the film industry, how the digital revolution was promised to democratize film, and how it actually helped cement the power of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Will Tavlin is a writer and fact checker based in New York City. Follow Will on Twitter at @wtavlin.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Will wrote about how Hollywood killed celluloid film to empower itself for n+1.
- Paris wrote about the repeal of the Paramount Decrees and what tech companies are doing to cinema.
- Marvel films’ heavy reliance on CGI has downsides, and Disney is increasingly looking to making whole sets virtual, if not even the actors on them.
- David Noble wrote about ideas of technological progress in Progress Without People: New Technology, Unemployment, and the Message of Resistance.
Can Higher Interest Rates Tame Big Tech And Inflation? w/ Grace Blakeley
Paris Marx is joined by Grace Blakeley to discuss how low interest rates and quantitative easing fueled the tech economy’s post-recession growth, why raising them won’t fix the problems that’s created, and whether higher interest rates are the solution to rising inflation.
Grace Blakeley is a staff writer at Tribune Magazine and host of A World to Win. She’s also the author of Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation and The Corona Crash: How the Pandemic Will Change Capitalism. Follow Grace on Twitter at @graceblakeley.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Grace wrote about how interest rate hikes are used against workers, what we should learn from the Gamestop short squeeze, and how the pandemic has produced closer links between the state and major corporations.
- Benjamin Braun and Adrienne Buller explained the concept of asset manager capitalism.
- In the face of rising inflation, NFT values are down 48% since November.
- High energy prices tend to drive inflation, and Russia and Ukraine are major wheat exporters.
- In the UK, wages are falling at the fastest rate since 2014. In the US, wages are falling when accounting for inflation, after decades of wage stagnation.
How Peter Thiel Wields His Power in Silicon Valley w/ Moira Weigel
Paris Marx is joined by Moira Weigel to discuss Peter Thiel’s history, how the network he cultivated has influenced Silicon Valley, and his recent move into funding Republican candidates.
Moira Weigel is an assistant professor at Northeastern University, a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law School, and a founding editor of Logic magazine. She also co-edited Voices from the Valley: Tech Workers Talk about What They Do--And How They Do It. Follow Moira on Twitter at @moiragweigel.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Moira wrote about Peter Thiel and the importance of his network in The New Republic.
- Paris wrote about why Peter Thiel isn’t an outlier in Silicon Valley.
- Reason Magazine asked “wasn’t Peter Thiel supposed to be a libertarian?”
- In February 2020, Peter Thiel stepped down from Facebook’s board.
- Books mentioned: The Contrarian by Max Chafkin, From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner, Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, The PayPal Wars by Eric Jackson, Predict and Surveil by Sarah Brayne.
War in the Content Economy w/ Ryan Broderick & Hussein Kesvani
Paris Marx is joined by Ryan Broderick and Hussein Kesvani to discuss how war gets filtered through social media and the content economy, and what that means for how we make sense of it.
Ryan Broderick writes the Garbage Day newsletter and hosts Content Mines. Hussein Kesvani is a writer and the co-host of Trashfuture and Ten Thousand Posts. Follow Ryan on Twitter at @broderick and Hussein at @HKesvani.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ryan has written two issues of Garbage Day trying to make sense of what’s happening in the war.
- Hussein wrote a very good tweet.
- Sam Biddle wrote about how Facebook is allowing users to praise the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.
- Taylor Lorenz wrote about Instagram meme pages capitalizing on the conflict.
- Journalists have been saying some pretty racist things about why the war in Ukraine is different than those in the Middle East.
- Chris Stokel-Walker wrote about how TikTok is designed for war.
- Jonah Peretti wrote an article called “Capitalism and Schizophrenia.”
- NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel wondered aloud on Twitter whether NATO should start World War III.
- Hillary Clinton neglected the consequences of the US arming Afghan “insurgents” against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
- The media isn’t applying the right level of scrutiny to Ukrainian war stories, like Snake Island.
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have consequences for semiconductors.
Can Tesla Survive Elon Musk? w/ Edward Niedermeyer
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Niedermeyer to discuss how Elon Musk got involved in Tesla, promised things he couldn’t deliver to raise funds, and where it goes next now that he’s becoming a more controversial figure.
Edward Niedermeyer is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and a co-host of The Autonocast. Follow Ed on Twitter at @Tweetermeyer.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- California is suing Tesla over “rampant racism” at its Fremont factory, with another Black worker suing the company earlier this week.
- Tesla vehicles are continually found to have very poor build quality, and customers report the service experience can be frustrating too.
- Tesla allowed people to play games on vehicle touchscreens while driving in December 2021 before being pushed to remove the feature.
- Tesla tried to automate parts of the production process that other companies had already tried to automate — and it failed too.
- The number of people being killed by cars in the United States is increasing — particularly among pedestrians.
- US auto safety regulators haven’t kept up with changes in vehicle dangers.
- The New Yorker reported on the problems in the early years of Google’s self-driving project.
- Last year a customer in China protested at the Shanghai auto show over her Tesla’s brake failure, forcing regulators to take a closer look at the company.
Cringe Raps and $5 Billion in Stolen Bitcoin w/ Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Paris Marx is joined by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai to discuss the arrest of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan for trying to launder the $5 billion in Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack, how they were moving the money, how the authorities found them, and what lessons the case might hold.
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai is senior staff writer at Motherboard. Follow Lorenzo on Twitter at @lorenzofb.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Lorenzo wrote about the arrest of the couple and Heather Morgan’s cringe raps as Razzlekhan. Along with Motherboard colleagues, he also dug deep into the couple’s history and online presence.
- The Bitcoin they held and tried to launder came from the 2016 hack of Bitfinex.
- People who knew Morgan told the New York Times her social media presence was “part of an elaborate act to confront social pressures.”
- In 2014, Mt. Gox was hacked and shut down. It was an exchange handling 70% of Bitcoin transactions.
- Criminals laundered $8.6 billion in cryptocurrency in 2021, up 30% from the year before.
- AlphaBay was a darkweb crypto marketplace that was seized by authorities in 2017.
- On Feb 14, Heather Morgan was released on bail, but Ilya Lichtenstein remained in detention.
The Poorly Paid Workers Powering Automation w/ Phil Jones
Paris Marx is joined by Phil Jones to discuss the hidden microworkers behind supposedly AI-powered automation from major tech companies, how it differs in the Global North and South, and what it means for how we think about the future.
Phil Jones is the author of Work Without the Worker: Labour in the Age of Platform Capitalism and a researcher at Autonomy. Follow Phil on Twitter at @philjones7771.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Phil wrote about digital piecework for The Guardian and had an excerpt about refugee labor in Rest of World.
- Turkopticon helps workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk gain some information on the contractors offering tasks on the platform.
- In 2020, Gizmodo did surveys to find out about workers’ experiences on Mechanical Turk. There were a lot of horror stories.
- In 2014, workers on the platform sent emails to Jeff Bezos to ask for better conditions.
Crypto Winter Is Coming w/ Jacob Silverman
As the podcast celebrates episode 100, Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the huge drop in crypto prices, the coming threat (to crypto) of interest rate hikes and regulation, the human impact of crypto schemes, and where things may be going next.
Jacob Silverman is a staff writer at The New Republic and writes about crypto with the actor Ben McKenzie. Follow Jacob on Twitter at @SilvermanJacob.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob and Ben McKenzie wrote about Tether. Zeke Faux also wrote an essential article on the stablecoin, and Jacob recommends Crypto Critics Corner.
- Crypto prices have plunged, and that’s hurt regular people.
- New York’s Attorney General reached a settlement with Tether last year.
- VC firm Andreessen Horowitz is making a big lobbying push in Washington, DC to get favorable crypto regulations.
- Matt Damon and Spike Lee are among the celebrities to take crypto money and help pump the industry.
- US regulators are looking at crypto regulations, and Biden administration is planning an executive order to move it forward.
- China banned crypto mining, Russia proposed a ban on crypto, and many countries have suffered power outages due to crypto mining.
- Stephen Diehl wrote explained how crypto is about arbitraging securities regulation.
- Diane Jeantet wrote about a massive series of Bitcoin pyramid schemes in Brazil.
Microsoft Wants to Dominate the Games Industry w/ Rob Zacny
Paris Marx is joined by Rob Zacny to discuss the potential consequences of Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and what subscriptions and consolidation might mean for the future of games and the industry.
Rob Zacny is a senior editor at Waypoint and co-host of Waypoint Radio. Follow Rob on Twitter at @RobZacny.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Rob discussed the consequences of the proposed acquisition with his colleague Patrick Klepek.
- Microsoft plans to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
- In November, Phil Spencer said he was troubled by the harassment and abuse at Activision Blizzard.
- QA workers at Activision’s Raven Software are seeking to unionize. The company said it won’t recognize the union, and is reorganizing the division.
- A new Game Developers Conference found 55% think the industry should unionize.
- On January 18, the US Federal Trade Commission began a process to rewrite its merger guidelines.
- Google shut down its Stadia game studios at least in part due to Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax.
- At GDC in 2005, a developer rant session featuring Warren Spector, Jason Della Rocca, Greg Costikyan, Brenda Laurel, and Chris Hecke presented a grim picture of where the industry was going.
How Evangelicals Emulate Startup Culture w/ Corrina Laughlin
Paris Marx is joined by Corrina Laughlin to discuss how evangelical Christians have adapted to modern technologies, how churches have emulated startups, the growth of the faith tech sector, and whether there’s anything that can be learned from their tech experiments.
Corrina Laughlin is the author of Redeem All: How Digital Life Is Changing Evangelical Culture. She’s also an instructor of media studies at Loyola Marymount University. Follow Corrina on Twitter at @CKLaughlin.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Corrina wrote an article about why evangelicals are early adopters for The Atlantic.
- Pew estimates about 24% of US adults identify as born again or evangelical Protestants.
- The 1925 Scopes Trial was over the teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools.
- Life.Church makes a ton of high production value resources available to churches looking to start up and expand what they’re doing.
- The prosperity gospel is a pro-capitalist theological tradition preached by some very wealth pastors, including Kenneth Copeland.
Envisioning Platform Socialism w/ James Muldoon
Paris Marx is joined by James Muldoon to discuss his vision for platform socialism and the different ways we could reorganize platforms to serve the public good over corporate profit.
James Muldoon is the author of Platform Socialism: How to Reclaim our Digital Future from Big Tech. He’s also a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and the Head of Digital Research at Autonomy. Follow James on Twitter at @james_muldoon_.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- James wrote about why web3 won’t save the internet.
- Paris wrote about what’s wrong with discourses about decentralization and why we should nationalize Amazon.
- Francesca Bria was interviewed by Crypto Syllabus about web3, decentralization, and her experience with municipal tech projects.
- Facebook’s Project Amplify ensured users saw positive stories about the company.
- Antonio Negri and Dalla Costa were among the Italian Autonomist Marxists thinking about the social factory. Karl Marx wrote about the concept of surplus value.
- G.D.H. Cole wrote about guild socialism. James also mentions the work of Otto Neurath.
How Roblox Exploits Children w/ Quintin Smith
Paris Marx is joined by Quintin Smith to discuss how Roblox profits from the labor of children, built an exploitative in-game economy, and needs to be regulated as soon as possible.
Quintin Smith is a journalist working with People Make Games and Shut Up & Sit Down. Follow Quintin on Twitter at @Quinns108.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Quintin did an investigation of Roblox for People Make Games. Watch part 1 and part 2.
- Roblox went public on March 9, 2021, hitting a valuation of $45 billion. It’s now over $50 billion and benefiting from the metaverse hype.
- More than half of US kids and teens under 16 are on Roblox. It’s estimated that half the platform’s users globally are under 13 years old.
- Cecilia D’Anastasio reported on fascist role-playing games in Roblox.
- Games featuring sex and nudity are not always caught by Roblox, exposing kids to them.
Happy Holidays from Tech Won’t Save Us!
To end 2021, Paris Marx provides a quick update on the podcast and what’s coming next year.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris’ book Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation comes out in July 2022.
Silicon Valley Doesn’t Get Science Fiction w/ Annalee Newitz
Paris Marx is joined by Annalee Newitz to discuss what’s wrong with Silicon Valley’s understanding of science fiction, and how tech leaders use it to justify terrible futures.
Annalee Newitz is the author of Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age and The Future of Another Timeline. They are also the co-host of Our Opinions Are Correct and a writer for NYT Opinion and New Scientist. Follow Annalee on Twitter at @Annaleen.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Annalee wrote about what tech companies don’t get about science fiction for New Scientist.
- Paris wrote about the dystopian future proposed by the metaverse.
- The Verge spoke to Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, but the interviewer suggested The Matrix was trying to predict where technology was going.
- In 1985, Ursula K. Le Guin wrote about science fiction and the future.
- Facebook is already failing to combat harassment in VR, and its incoming CTO thinks doing so in the metaverse is “practically impossible.”
- People mentioned: Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, JPL engineer Jack Parsons, and Trekonomics author Manu Saadia.
- Annalee’s reading suggestions: Ring Shout by P Djeli Clark, Murderbot series by Martha Wells, Infomocracy by Malka Older, An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King, Rosewater by Tade Thompson, Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan, Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, and Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin.
The Video Game Industry Needs Unions w/ Gita Jackson
Paris Marx is joined by Gita Jackson to discuss the revelations of sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard, how workers have organized in response to them, and what it all could mean for the future of the video games industry.
Gita Jackson is a senior writer at Motherboard, Vice’s tech vertical. Follow Gita on Twitter at @xoxogossipgita.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In July, California’s fair employment department sued Activision Blizzard, revealing shocking interal details, including a “Cosby Suite” and harassing prospective workers at a job fair.
- In November, it was revealed that CEO Bobby Kotick knew about it and had settled harassment lawsuits. Afterward, workers walked out but the board stood behind Kotick.
- The heads of Playstation and Xbox released statements criticizing Activision Blizzard’s leadership.
- Workers are now passing around union cards under the name A Better ABK as the company sends anti-union statements. They have also set up a strike fund.
- The EA Spouse Letter was written in 2004.
- Gita wrote about Comic Book Workers United, the union seeking recognition at Image Comics.
- The Mandalorian used Unreal Engine to create virtual sets, and Unity just bought part of Weta Digital to expand its virtual production.
- Since recording, Vodeo Games has formed the first video game union in North America.
Web3 is a Scam, Not a Revolution w/ Stephen Diehl
Paris Marx is joined by Stephen Diehl to discuss why technologists are divided on crypto, what’s wrong with blockchain, why crypto assets are scams, and why web3 is a rebranding effort.
Stephen Diehl is software engineer and crypto skeptic based in London. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @smdiehl.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Stephen has written about how to understand crypto assets, the problem with “decentralization”, the speculative mania inherent to crypto, why web3 is bullshit, and more on his blog.
- Some guy bought a beer with crypto and it showed one of the big flaws with using crypto as a means of payment.
- Andreessen Horowitz one of the main players lobbying for lax crypto regulations in the United States.
- How Albania’s pyramid scheme crisis in the 1990s holds lessons for the today’s crypto mania.
- David Golumbia was on episode 67 (July 1, 2021) and Olivier Jutel was on episode 75 (August 26, 2021).
Who Inspired Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ Space Visions? w/ Fred Scharmen
Paris Marx is joined by Fred Scharmen to discuss Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space colonization, the inspiration they draw from the work of Wernher von Braun and Gerard O’Neill, and what’s wrong with basing our future on those ideas.
Fred Scharmen is the author of Space Forces: A Critical History of Life in Outer Space. He teaches architecture and urban design at Morgan State University’s School of Architecture and Planning and is the co-founder of the Working Group on Adaptive Systems. Follow Fred on Twitter at @sevensixfive.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the billionaire space race and Jeff Bezos’ vision for space colonization.
- Wernher von Braun was a Nazi before becoming chief architect of NASA’s Saturn V rocket. He appeared in a 1955 Disney program about space flight, but his past was also criticized, including in a song by Tom Lehrer.
- Elon Musk has cited Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” as an inspiration and Jeff Bezos saved The Expanse when it was cancelled.
- Jeff Bezos’ ideas about space colonization come directly from Gerard O’Neill’s vision of space colonies floating in space.
- Adam Mann asked in the New Yorker whether Mars was really ours for the taking.
- The Just Space Alliance presents an alternative to the billionaire framing of space.
Don’t Give Surveillance for Christmas w/ Chris Gilliard
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss the ethics of tech media recommending surveillance devices, aspects of “smart” technologies you might not have considered, and why we should think twice about surrounding ourselves with cameras and microphones.
Chris Gilliard is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center. Follow Chris on Twitter at @hypervisible.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Chris wrote about the history of home surveillance, and the concept of luxury surveillance with David Golumbia.
- Caroline Haskins went in-depth on what Ring does to communities.
- Health apps and fitness trackers help rich people but don’t do much for poor people.
- The New York Times thinks the Theranos scandal soured the media on Silicon Valley. (We don’t buy it.)
- US Infrastructure Bill will require monitoring systems for drunk driving in new vehicles as early as 2026.
- Amazon has worked to kill or undermine privacy legislation across 25 US states.
- In 2019, video circulated of a man talking to someone’s 8-year-old daughter after he hacked the Ring camera in her bedroom.
- In the US, wage theft matches all other property theft combined, but the media sensationalizes shoplifting while ignoring wage theft.
- Chris recommended people read Simone Brown’s Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness.
- The Wirecutter Union is asking people not to visit the website from November 25-29.
Net-Zero Uses Technofixes to Delay Climate Action w/ Sabrina Fernandes
Paris Marx is joined by Sabrina Fernandes to discuss what came out of COP26, what it actually means to have net-zero emissions by 2050, and all the mechanisms that countries are developing to delay necessary action to reduce emissions.
Sabrina Fernandes is an IRGAC postdoctoral fellow at Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. She’s the producer of Tese Onze and a contributing editor at Jacobin. Follow Sabrina on Twitter at @safbf.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Sabrina and Claudia Horn wrote about COP26 and what Brazil’s far-right government was up to at the conference.
- Paris wrote about why Elon Musk won’t save us from the climate crisis.
- The International Rights of Nature Tribunal has a resource on the false solutions to the climate crisis.
- Melissa Moreano and Juliane Schumacher wrote about REDD+ and the discourse around forests at COP26.
- Daniel Aldana Cohen worked on the Green New Deal for Public Housing.
- COP26 agreed on the Glasgow Climate Pact, but pledges would still result in 2.4º of warming.
- Climate scientists say net-zero is about “a need to protect business as usual, not the climate.”
- Jeff Bezos should cut Amazon emissions, not focus on forests.
- Amazon’s emissions increased by 15% in 2019 and 19% in 2020.
- Painting the street white causes people to absorb the heat that streets aren’t.
- Juice Media did good videos on the problems with net-zero and carbon capture.
How Amazon is Changing the Books We Read w/ Mark McGurl
Paris Marx is joined by Mark McGurl to discuss how Amazon is reshaping the publishing industry and altering the form of the novel itself.
Mark McGurl is a Professor of Literature at Stanford University. He’s also the author of The Program Era: Postwar Fiction and the Rise of Creative Writing and Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon. Follow Mark on Twitter at @markjamesmcgurl.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jeff Bezos’ valedictorian speech was about space colonization.
- Paris wrote about Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s early days.
- US publishers, authors, and booksellers have written to Congress about Amazon’s effective monopolization of book sales, with more than 50% of the US book market.
- Jane Friedman explains how Amazon shut down many of its writer-oriented programs, makes exclusivity hard to avoid, and dominates Kindle charts.
- Novels and authors mentioned: Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle, David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, Rachel Cusk, and Ben Lerner.
Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s big plans for the metaverse, everything that’s wrong with it, the concept’s scifi origins, and why Silicon Valley is desperate to make it happen.
Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine, coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Brian wrote about the dystopian origins of the metaverse for Motherboard and why Silicon Valley wants it to succeed for The Atlantic.
- Paris wrote about how the metaverse is a way to get us to spend more time and money in digital spaces for Business Insider.
- Matthew Ball made the business case for the metaverse last year.
- Apple’s changes to iOS privacy settings cost Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat an estimated $9.85 billion in revenue.
- Emails sent by Oculus CEO Jason Rubin in 2018 asserted that consumers want the metaverse (something that’s not at all clear).
- David Karpf wrote about how VR keeps failing and getting revived for Wired.
- Apple’s AR headset or glasses are supposedly coming in 2022.
- Microsoft is trying to get in on the metaverse with workplace applications of its own.
- Brian hosted a series for Motherboard about the themes of Dune.
Can Nostalgia Inspire a Better Future? w/ Grafton Tanner
Paris Marx is joined by Grafton Tanner to discuss how social and environmental crises fuel nostalgia, how companies profit from it, and whether it can be reoriented to inspire a better future.
Grafton Tanner is the author of “The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia” from Repeater Books. Follow Grafton on Twitter at @GraftonTanner.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris reviewed Grafton’s book in Jacobin.
- TikTok has already gone through a phase of nostalgia for the early pandemic and its lockdowns.
- Malls have been closing for years, but many people have nostalgia for their heyday.
- In 1996, Jennifer Light compared emerging digital spaces to shopping malls.
- Matthew Ball wrote one of the key essays on what the metaverse should look like (from a corporate perspective).
- A message mentioned in the opening crawl of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was broadcast exclusively in Fortnite.
- When Amazon bought MGM, it said it wanted to redevelop much of its accumulated intellectual property.
- At the end of the 2010s, some people questioned what algorithms were doing to our sense of time.
- The internet doesn’t get properly preserved and its history is being permanently lost.
- Tim Maughan wrote about how the world is too complex.
- Nishant Shahani’s “Queer Retrosexualities: The Politics of Reparative Return” and Badia Ahad-Legardy’s “Afro-Nostalgia: Feeling Good in Contemporary Black Culture.”
What Gig Work Means for Women in India w/ Noopur Raval
Paris Marx is joined by Noopur Raval to discuss India’s gig economy, the specific conditions of women who provide services through beauty and wellness apps, and how workers organize to improve their conditions.
Noopur Raval is a postdoctoral research fellow at the AI Now Institute at New York University. Follow Noopur on Twitter at @tetisheri.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Noopur wrote about organizing in the gig economy and the conditions of workers in beauty and wellness.
- Julia Ticona and her colleagues wrote about tech’s impacts on domestic work.
- More than 100 women who worked through a beauty app recently went on strike outside the company’s office.
- Aditi Surie has written about platforms and informal work in India.
Beating Uber at the UK Supreme Court w/ Yaseen Aslam
Paris Marx is joined by Yaseen Aslam to discuss the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber drivers are not self-employed, the long fight to reach that point, and the next steps in the push for gig workers’ rights in the UK.
Yaseen Aslam is the president of the App Drivers and Couriers Union and a lead claimant in the Aslam v Uber case. Follow Yaseen on Twitter at @Yaseenaslam381 and the ADCU at @ADCUnion.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In February, the UK Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling the Uber drivers were not self-employed, but were covered by a “worker” status. The following month, Uber reclassified workers, but didn’t observe the Court’s definition of what it meant to be a worker.
- On September 28, Uber drivers in 8 UK cities went on strike, demanding better hourly rates and the full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling/
- The ADCU sued Uber in the Netherlands over automated dismissal and not providing drivers their data under the GDPR. In April, the court made Uber reinstate 5 drivers.
- In October, the ADCU announced it was suing Uber over its racially biased facial recognition algorithms.
- Find out more about the ADCU.
Solidarity in Canada’s Gig Economy w/ Jennifer Scott & Brice Sopher
Paris Marx is joined by Jennifer Scott and Brice Sopher to discuss the campaign to unionize Foodora and the fight for gig workers’ rights in Canada.
Jennifer Scott is a gig worker and president of Gig Workers United. Brice Sopher is also a gig worker and vice president of Gig Workers United. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @PalimpsestJenn, Brice at @this_is_walmer, and Gig Workers United at @GigWorkersUnite.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- If you’re in Canada, sign the Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights.
- Paris wrote about why Uber’s Flexible Work+ would be a disaster in Canada.
- In February 2020, the Ontario Labour Board ruled that Foodora workers could unionize. The company soon after announced plans to leave Canada, but workers voted 88.8% in favor of unionization. In August, they negotiated a $3.46 million settlement with the company.
- Sara Mojtehedzadeh (episode 79) made a podcast series about the Foodora campaign called Hustled.
- Canada’s Conservative Party presented a gig work plan written by an Uber lobbyist.
- Ontario has a committee looking at the future of work that gig workers fear will pave the way for Flexible Work+.
- Find out more about Gig Workers United (CUPW) and Uber Drivers United (UFCW).
Gig Work is Not a Novelty in Brazil w/ Rafael Grohmann
Paris Marx is joined by Rafael Grohmann to discuss the state of app-based work in Brazil, organizing by food delivery workers to demand better conditions, and even a recent strike by click farm workers.
Rafael Grohmann is a professor at UNISINOS, coordinator at DigiLabour Research Lab, and principal investigator in Brazil of Fairwork Project. Follow Rafael on Twitter at @grohmann_rafael.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- DigiLabour is organizing a PhD symposium on October 27-28. Find out more here.
- Some of the people and work mentioned in this episode: Callum Cant, Fabian Ferrari and Mark Graham, Noopur Raval, Rosana Pinheiro Machado, Cheryll Soriano and Jason Cabañes, and Wendy Brown.
- DigiLabour is looking into worker-owned platforms in Brazil.
- Vice wrote about gig work organizing in Latin America and talked a lot about the Anti-fascist deliverers.
- Rafael and his colleagues also looked at political struggle around gig work and the importance of communication.
The Fight for Gig Workers’ Rights in Europe w/ Ben Wray
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the state of the gig economy in Europe, including the Spanish riders law, recent court ruling on employment status in the Netherlands, strikes in Germany and Greece, and the forthcoming platform workers directive from the European Commission.
Ben Wray is a coordinator at the Gig Economy Project and a freelance journalist. Follow Ben on Twitter at @Ben_Wray1989.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Sign up for the Gig Economy Project’s newsletter for updates on what’s going on in Europe.
- A Dutch court ruled that Uber drivers are employees.
- Spain’s Riders Law came into effect, but the companies didn’t comply.
- Glovo dark supermarkets workers in Barcelona went on strike in August.
- E-food workers in Greece went on strike and won a huge victory.
- Gorillas fired workers for wildcat strikes.
- The European Commission will deliver platform work regulations in December. It’s been meeting a lot with gig companies.
Migrant Workers in Australia’s Gig Economy w/ Tyler Riordan
Paris Marx is joined by Tyler Riordan to discuss the state of the gig economy in Australia, the ongoing efforts to improve their conditions, and Tyler’s research on migrant food couriers in Brisbane.
Tyler Riordan is a PhD candidate in hospitality and anthropology at the University of Queensland. Follow Tyler on Twitter at @tyler_riordan.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The deaths of gig economy workers have become a major focus on governments and the media over the past year
- Australia’s federal government has an ongoing Senate committee on gig work
- Uber settled a case in December 2020 to avoid a ruling on employment status, but another test case has been filed in Federal Court
- Foodora pulled out of Australia in 2018
- Menulog announced it was making some workers employees earlier this year
How Race Was Central to Prop 22 w/ Veena Dubal
Paris Marx is joined by Veena Dubal to discuss how Proposition 22 and the contract status of gig workers is reminiscent of the United States’ history of racial wage codes, which codified lower wages for Black workers.
Veena Dubal is a Professor of Law at UC Hastings. Follow Veena on Twitter at @veenadubal. Go back to episode 10 (May 21, 2020) for Veena’s first appearance on the podcast.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- If you’ve ever assigned an episode of the podcast in a college or university course, let me know by Twitter DM, email, or through this form.
- Read Veena’s essay on The New Racial Wage Code.
- Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had opposing philosophies for Black social and economic progress.
- Robert C. Weaver and David Roediger wrote about differential wages.
- Uber put up a billboard saying, “If you tolerate racism, delete Uber.” Drivers were not happy.
- Uber and Lyft held up workers’ unemployment claims, and Lyft charged for PPE.
- After Prop 22, gig companies raised fees despite promising not to, and workers reported earning even less money.
- In August, Prop 22 was found to be unconstitutional.
- New York City recently passed new protections for delivery couriers after organizing by Los Deliveristas Unidos.
- Find out more about Rideshare Drivers United.
The Amazon Union Drive Comes to Canada w/ Sara Mojtehedzadeh
Paris Marx is joined by Sara Mojtehedzadeh to discuss the Teamsters’ organizing at Amazon warehouses in Canada and the working conditions that workers face at those facilities.
Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a labour reporter at the Toronto Star and the host of Hustled, a podcast about Foodora workers’ fight for a union. Follow Sara on Twitter at @SaraMojtehedz.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- If you’ve ever assigned an episode of the podcast in a college or university course, let me know by Twitter DM, email, or through this form.
- In June, the Teamsters voted to put resources behind unionizing Amazon.
- The Teamsters Canada applied for a union vote in Edmonton, Alberta, and said it’s organizing at nine warehouses. Amazon is hiring 15,000 workers and raising wages.
- During the pandemic, the Canadian government signed a deal with Amazon to deliver PPE. The contract fell apart.
- After an Amazon worker died in Indiana, the governor intervened to overturn the citations.
- California is regulating productivity quotas at warehouses.
- Discussions are picking up about sectoral bargaining in Canada.
- Sara wrote about the high injury rates at Amazon’s Canadian warehouses and the temporary closure of its Brampton, Ontario warehouse after a Covid outbreak.
- Find out more about Teamsters Canada’s Amazon campaign and the Warehouse Workers Centre.
What Apple Won’t Tell You About the iPhone w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the development of the iPhone, how Apple manages the press, and how the parts of the company’s supply chain that get too little attention.
Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine, coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In 1968, Douglas Engelbart showed off the “Mother of All Demos.”
- David Nye wrote the American Technological Sublime.
- Paris thinks Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater has big church vibes.
- Disgraced former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes tried to emulate Steve Jobs.
- IBM built the Simon smartphone in the 1990s, but it was ahead of its time.
- In 2011, Apple made $473,000 per retail employee — far more than other retailers. Its revenue per square foot was almost double Tiffany’s. That year, Cory Moll also led a push for an Apple Retail Workers Union, but Apple fought back and he left the company in 2013.
- In 2010, after facing criticism, Steve Jobs said the suicide rate at Foxconn factories was “well below the China average.”
- In December 2020, workers at a Wistron iPhone factory in India ransacked the factory because they weren’t getting paid.
- Jenny Chan, Mark Selden, and Ngai Pun wrote Dying for an iPhone: Apple, Foxconn, and The Lives of China’s Workers (US/UK).
- Apple files annual conflict minerals reports. You can read their 2021 report here.
The Creation of a Black Cyberculture w/ André Brock
Paris Marx is joined by André Brock to discuss the history of Black people’s online activity, the internet’s association with whiteness, and what Black Twitter can tell us about the centrality of Black people to digital culture.
André Brock is an associate professor of media studies at Georgia Tech. He writes on Western technoculture, Black technoculture, and digital media. His award-winning book, Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures, theorizes Black everyday lives mediated by networked digital technologies. You can get if from NYU Press, and it’s available through open access. Follow André on Twitter at @DocDre.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald did portraits of the Obamas, while Kara Walker made “A Subtlety” at the Domino Sugar Refinery.
- Achille Mbembe is a Cameroonian philosopher and social theorist.
- Janelle Monáe, Sun Ra, and John Jennings are notable people engaging with Afrofuturism.
- Books mentioned: Black Software: The Internet & Racial Justice, from the AfroNet to Black Lives Matter by Charlton D. McIlwain and Tools for Conviviality by Ivan Illich.
Big Tech Entrenches US Power w/ Michael Kwet
Paris Marx is joined by Michael Kwet to discuss how digital technologies are used to entrench the power of the United States and its dominant corporations at the expense of the Global South.
Michael Kwet is a Visiting Fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. He got his PhD in Sociology at Rhodes University in South Africa. Follow Michael on Twitter at @Michael_Kwet.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Michael wrote about digital colonialism and the need for a Digital Tech Deal.
- Bill Gates wrote a notorious letter in 1976 opposing the sharing of software as it conflicted with Microsoft's business model.
- Tech companies export content moderation, training AI, call center, and even more labor to the Global South.
- Gabriel Winant criticized the dominant liberal perspective on antitrust action.
Blockchain Won’t Save the Global South w/ Olivier Jutel
Paris Marx is joined by Olivier Jutel to discuss blockchain’s pivot to humanitarianism, the questionable people behind the technology, and how their projects in the Pacific have benefited capitalist and imperial power.
Olivier Jutel is a lecturer at the University of Otago. Follow Olivier on Twitter at @OJutel.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris’ first book “Road to Nowhere” comes out in July 2022.
- Olivier wrote a paper about blockchain imperialism in the Pacific and it was covered by Motherboard.
- BCCI was an international bank established in 1972 that was shut down in 1991 for hiding money laundering and other financial crimes.
- Hernando De Soto is a Latin American economist who advised Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori and advocates neoliberal policies like land title programs. He now pushes for it to be done through blockchains, and wrote an op-ed with Phil Gramm.
- Brock Pierce is a co-founder of Tether and tried to turn Puerto Rico into a crypto paradise.
- Hillary Clinton described the freedom to connect doctrine.
- Geoffrey Bond sold Vanuatu citizenship and was connected to Sebastian Greenwood, who was part of the OneCoin Ponzi scheme.
- Binance is under investigation, if not pushed out of, multiple countries.
- Fiji is facing major opposition to land reform plans.
- Books mentioned: David Gerard’s “Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain” and “Libra Shrugged,” Fred Turner’s “From Counterculture to Cyberculture,” Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s “Empire,” Herbert Schiller’s “Communication and Cultural Domination,” Armand Mattelart’s “The Invention of Communication,” Lilli Irani’s “Chasing Innovation,” and Teresia Teaiwa in “Anglo-American Imperialism and the Pacific.”
How Neoliberalism Seized the Internet w/ Dan Greene
Paris Marx is joined by Dan Greene to discuss how the Clinton administration reframed poverty through the lens of the internet and how that transformed the missions of key institutions like libraries and schools.
Dan Greene is an assistant professor at University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. He is the author of “The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope.” Follow Dan on Twitter at @Green_DM.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Anna Pacquin starred in a series of commercials for MCI about the internet
- Ben Tarnoff wrote about the privatization of the internet
- Dan wrote an article about the landlords of the internet
How Smart is the Smart City? w/ Shannon Mattern
Paris Marx is joined by Shannon Mattern to discuss what we miss when we see the city solely through the lens of the computer, and how other institutions and ways of knowing can help inform richer ways of understanding the city.
Shannon Mattern is a professor of anthropology at The New School for Social Research and President of the Board at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. She is the author of “Code and Clay, Data and Dirt” and “A City Is Not a Computer.” Follow Shannon on Twitter at @shannonmattern.
📚 Get 30% off “A City Is Not a Computer” when you buy it from Princeton University Press and use the code “TWSU” at checkout before the end of September 2021!
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ursula K. Le Guin ranted about the meaning of the word “technology.”
- Google wanted to build a smart city in Toronto, but activists killed it.
- Gökçe Günel wrote “Spaceship in the Desert: Energy, Climate Change, and Urban Design in Abu Dhabi” about the Masdar smart city project.
- Songdo was supposed to be South Korea’s city of the future. It didn’t work out.
- Kevin Rogan wrote about the human labor Sidewalk Labs was hiding.
How Australia Used Tech Against Welfare Recipients w/ Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran
Paris Marx is joined by Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran to discuss Australia’s robodebt scandal where automated decision-making was used against welfare recipients, and how exploitative AI implementations are being deployed by governments in social welfare and at the borders.
Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran is a proud Tamil person and a PhD candidate at Australian National University whose work focuses on digital identification systems and border policing regimes. Follow Dhakshayini on Twitter as @Dhakshayini_S.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Dhakshayini wrote about robo-governance and why we need to oppose it.
- Robodebt eventually resulted in a A$1.8 billion settlement in favor of welfare recipients.
- Robo-planning was another proposed system for Australia’s disability insurance scheme that has been canceled. A blockchain trial was also considered.
- Australia is trialing a controversial cashless welfare card, and plans to increase the use of biometrics.
- Scarlet Wilcock researched the history of “welfare cheat” narratives in Australia.
- Canada has been using automated decision making to process visa applications.
- Just Futures Law and Mijente released a report called “ICE: Digital Prisons.”
- Israeli company NSO’s Pegasus technology was weaponized against activists, politicians, and journalists.
- The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on human rights and technology, while the European Data Protection Supervisor has called for a ban on biometrics.
How Streaming is Reshaping the Film Industry w/ Peter Labuza
Paris Marx is joined by Peter Labuza to discuss how streaming is reconfiguring Hollywood, what that means for the film and television we consume, and whether it’s time to consider antitrust action against the streaming giants.
Peter Labuza is a lecturer at San Jose State University whose work focuses on the legal, financial, and political history of creative industries. He’s currently writing a book about the history of entertainment law in Hollywood. Follow Peter on Twitter as @labuzamovies.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Peter wrote an op-ed for the LA Times about what streaming is doing to culture and the need for antitrust action.
- Paris has written about the consolidation in entertainment companies, the need to consider state action, and Amazon’s acquisition of MGM.
- David Graeber wrote that British culture from the sixties was a product of the welfare state.
- Joshua Glick wrote about how Netflix is changing documentary production.
- Jennifer Holt provides an overview of media deregulation in “Empires of Entertainment: Media Industries and the Politics of Deregulation, 1980-1996.”
- FilmCritHulk wrote about the impacts of streaming and industry consolidation on labor, unions, and more.
- In 2020, a judge ended the Paramount Decrees.
- The Writer’s Guild recently went on strike over streaming residuals.
- Salt of the Earth was a film made by blacklisted filmmakers.
Demystifying the Billionaire Space Race
Paris Marx takes a solo episode to discuss the billionaire space race. Specifically, how billionaires are selling grand futures of space travel as a PR scheme to get huge public contracts that will allow them to control the infrastructure of space.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the billionaire space race, and it was translated into German, Italian, and Turkish.
- New Mexico’s $220-million Spaceport America that’s used by Virgin Galactic is a joke.
- SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has been way overhyped.
- If we went to Mars, we would get cancer.
- Adam Mann had a great essay on how we should think about Mars, and whether it’s “ours.”
- Elon Musk says we can be indentured servants on Mars, and people will die.
- Paris has written about Jeff Bezos’ space colonies, and compared them to Blade Runner and The Expanse.
- Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO to take on the role of Executive Chairman.
- Ursula K. Le Guin argues science fiction isn’t about the future, nor is it predictive.
- Amazon’s emissions rose 19% in 2020 and it’s helping Big Oil.
- Paris wrote about the real climate future billionaires are creating.
“Sleep Dealer” and the Border Politics of Tech w/ Alex Rivera
Paris Marx is joined by Alex Rivera to discuss his 2008 film Sleep Dealer and how it imagined exploitative technologies being implemented in a future Mexico of hardened borders and limited migration.
Alex Rivera is a filmmaker and digital media artist whose work explores themes of globalization, migration, and technology. His feature films include Sleep Dealer and The Infiltrators. Follow Alex on Twitter as @Alex_Rivera.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- You can rent or buy Sleep Dealer from the official website.
- Paris wrote about Sleep Dealer and what it illustrates about technology for Jacobin.
- Border walls are still going up around the world.
- Smart tech is often designed to hide the human labor that makes it work.
- Kiwibot delivery robots are driven by Colombian workers making $2/hour.
Tech Criticism Before the Techlash w/ Zachary Loeb
Paris Marx is joined by Zachary Loeb to discuss the history of tech criticism with a focus on Joseph Weizenbaum and Lewis Mumford, as well as why the techlash is a narrative that suits Silicon Valley.
Zachary Loeb is a PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania whose dissertation research looks at Y2K. Follow Zachary on Twitter as @libshipwreck, and check out his Librarian Shipwreck blog.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Zachary wrote about Y2K, Lewis Mumford’s criticisms on technology, the life and thought of Joseph Weizenbaum, and theses on techno-optimism.
- Books mentioned: “Dismantlings: Words against Machines in the American Long Seventies” by Matt Tierney.
Bitcoin is a Right-Wing Technology w/ David Golumbia
Paris Marx is joined by David Golumbia to discuss the ideology of cyberlibertarianism, the right-wing politics of cryptocurrencies and blockchains, and why the left shouldn’t embrace them.
David Golumbia is an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of “The Politics of Bitcoin: Software as Right-Wing Extremism.” He’s also writing a new book called “Cyberlibertarianism” from Minnesota University Press. Follow David on Twitter as @dgolumbia.
🚨 T-shirts are now available!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- David wrote about cyberlibertarianism for Jacobin Magazine.
- Keith Spencer interviewed David about his book for Salon in 2018.
- Elon Musk’s tweets affect cryptocurrency prices, while China is cracking down on crypto mining.
- Marc Andreessen says “crypto is a right wing idea” in an interview with Noah Smith.
- El Salvador’s right-wing authoritarian president made Bitcoin a form of legal tender.
- Tether misled people about how much USD was backing its stablecoin.
- About 20% of Bitcoin — worth billions of dollars — is lost and recoverable.
- Other resources: Langdon Winner’s “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” and “Cyberlibertarian Myths and the Prospects for Community”; Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron’s “The Californian Ideology”; Fred Turner’s “From Counterculture to Cyberculture”; Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish” (article); and John Perry Barlow’s “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.”
VCs Want to Disrupt the Media w/ Eoin Higgins
Paris Marx is joined by Eoin Higgins to discuss why tech companies and venture capital firms are launching their own media verticals, what Marc Andreessen hopes to get out of Clubhouse and Substack, and why Jeff Bezos may have a better approach to media.
Eoin Higgins is a freelance journalist and writes on Substack under The Flashpoint. Follow Eoin on Twitter as @EoinHiggins_.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Eoin wrote about what venture capital firms are doing in media and Marc Andreessen’s favoriting of alt-right tweets.
- In 2016, Marc Andreessen wrote a tweet about colonialism in India that received a lot of backlash.
- Coinbase started a “media arm” to “become a source of truth” in the face of critical reporting.
- Anna Wiener recently wrote about how tech may be shifting from a narrative of disruption to one of building institutions (to serve themselves).
- Sam Harnett critically examined tech journalism and its history, especially with regard to reporting on the gig economy.
- Zoe Schiffer and Megan Farokhmanesh detailed how venture capitalists used Clubhouse to organize against critical coverage of the industry and go after journalists like Taylor Lorenz.
- Ed Zitron wrote about how tech journalism’s shift from an enthusiast press to an industrial press was something venture capitalists and powerful people in the industry were not happy about.
Facebook Is A Battleground w/ Avi Asher-Schapiro and Maya Gebeily
Paris Marx is joined by Avi Asher-Schapiro and Maya Gebeily to discuss how Facebook isn’t fully enforcing its ban on conversion therapy in Arabic, what that means for LGBTQ people in Arabic-speaking countries, and how social media has become a battleground.
Avi Asher-Schapiro is a journalist covering technology for the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Maya Gebeily is the Middle East Correspondent at the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Follow Avi on Twitter as @AASchapiro and follow Maya as @GebeilyM.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Avi and Maya wrote about how Facebook is letting conversion therapy posts continue being shared on the platform in Arabic.
- Maya wrote about social media companies blaming glitches for disappearing posts about Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem.
- In September, Buzzfeed published an internal letter by Sophie Zhang on how Facebook was ignoring its impacts on the politics of countries around the world. Zhang has gone on to to do work with The Guardian and Rest of World.
- The United Nations says conversion therapy “may amount to torture” and should be banned.
- Lebanon provides more freedom for LGBTQ people, but there are still barriers.
- Saudi Arabia infiltrated Twitter to identify dissidents, and in 2020 convicted a Yemeni blogger for supporting gay rights.
- In September 2020, Algerian police arrested 44 people for attending a “gay wedding,” using the decoration as evidence against them.
- Israeli security agencies work to ensure Facebook censors Palestinian content at their request.
Embracing Glitch Feminism w/ Legacy Russell
Paris Marx is joined by Legacy Russell to discuss how glitch feminism challenges existing ideas of what constitutes the body and the effects of having those conceptions embedded within our technological systems.
Legacy Russell is the associate curator of exhibitions at The Studio Museum in Harlem, and will become executive director and chief curator of The Kitchen in September. She’s the author of “Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto” and is currently writing “Black Meme.” Follow Legacy on Twitter as @LegacyRussell.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Donna Haraway, Sadie Plan, and Katherine Hayles on cyberfeminism.
- Alondra Nelson on afrofuturism.
- Nathan Jurgenson’s work on digital dualism and IRL.
The Sunset of the Californian Ideology? w/ Richard Barbrook
Paris Marx is joined by Richard Barbrook to discuss how the Californian Ideology illustrated the neoliberalism of Silicon Valley, whether it’s still relevant in the present, and how games can be used for political purposes.
Richard Barbrook is the author of “Imaginary Futures: From Thinking Machines to the Global Village” and “Class Wargames: Ludic subversion against spectacular capitalism.” He’s a senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Westminster. Follow Richard on Twitter as @richardbarbrook.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read the original Californian Ideology essay in Mute Magazine and Richard’s thoughts on the 20th anniversary in “The Internet Revolution: From Dot-com Capitalism to Cybernetic Communism.”
- France Insoumise presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon released a game called Fiscal Combat that helped inspire Corbyn Run.
- Richard mentions Guy Debord’s “A Game of War” and Bertell Ollman’s “Class Struggle” board games.
- Other resources: Marshall McLuhan, Fred Turner’s “From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism,” and Guy Debord’s “The Society of the Spectacle.”
Why the Soviet Union Didn’t Build the Internet w/ Benjamin Peters
Paris Marx is joined by Benjamin Peters to discuss the proposals for national computer networks in the Soviet Union, the challenges they faced in getting approval, and what lessons they hold for how we think about networks.
Benjamin Peters is the author of “How Not to Network a Nation: The Uneasy History of the Soviet Internet” and the co-editor of “Your Computer Is On Fire.” He’s also the Hazel Rogers Associate Professor at the University of Tulsa and affiliated faculty at Yale Law School. Follow Ben on Twitter as @bjpeters.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Ben summarized his research on the Soviet network proposals for Aeon.
Project Cybersyn Shows All Tech is Political w/ Eden Medina
Paris Marx is joined by Eden Medina to discuss Project Cybersyn, a technological system created by Chile’s socialist government in the 1970s to manage production, and what it can teach us about political technology and innovation outside the Global North.
Eden Medina is the author of “Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende's Chile.” She’s also an associate professor at MIT and the Rita E. Hauser Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Follow Eden on Twitter as @edenmedina.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In 2020, Marian Schlotterbeck spoke to Jacobin about the fifty year anniversary of Salvador Allende’s election.
- Independent and left-wing delegates won major victories in the election for Chile’s constitutional assembly, making it hard for right-wing delegates to stall the process.
- In October 2020, Chileans voted overwhelmingly to draft a new constitution, following protests that began in 2019.
- Dictator Augusto Pinochet oversaw a brutal regime from 1973 to 1990, and the crimes of that period are still being prosecuted.
How Many Times Has the Internet Already Died? w/ Kevin Driscoll
Paris Marx is joined by Kevin Driscoll to discuss the history of France’s Minitel system, the insights it provides about the modern platform economy, and whether the internet will one day be shut down too.
Kevin Driscoll is the co-author of “Minitel: Welcome to the Internet” with Julian Mailland. He’s also a professor at the University of Washington and the author of the forthcoming book “The Modem World: A Prehistory of Social Media.” Follow Kevin on Twitter as @kevindriscoll, or find out more about his Minitel research at minitel.us or @MinitelResearch.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- In November 2020, Paris wrote about the potential future of the internet if the value of digital ads collapsed.
- Vice published an article about the artists on Canada’s pre-internet network, Telidon.
- In “The Internet Revolution,” Richard Barbrook wrote that he thought Britain would eventually import Minitel after experiencing it.
- Other resources mentioned: “The Computerization of Society” by Simon Nora and Alain Minc, and “The Platformization of the Web” by Anne Helmond.
How State Funding Built Silicon Valley w/ Margaret O’Mara
Paris Marx is joined by Margaret O’Mara to discuss how the state and military have been at the center of the US tech industry since the very beginning, but how it was written out of the popular narrative during the neoliberal turn in the 1980s.
Margaret O’Mara is the author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America” and a professor at the University of Washington. Follow Margaret on Twitter as @margaretomara.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- “Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128, with a New Preface by the Author” by AnnaLee Saxenian
- Another relevant book: “From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism” by Fred Turner
Celebrating One Year of Tech Won’t Save Us!
Paris Marx is solo this week, providing an update on the podcast, the series of guests planned for May, and what’s coming next for Tech Won’t Save Us!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the future of the internet, why Elon Musk is planning for climate apocalypse, the problems with Jeff Bezos’ space future, and why a socialist future won’t look like a capitalist one.
- Paris was recently on the Digital Void podcast.
What’s Next for Amazon Workers? w/ Kim Kelly
Paris Marx is joined by Kim Kelly to discuss what it was like on the ground in Bessemer as workers tried to form a union at Amazon, the mood after the results came in, and where the organizing effort against Amazon goes from here.
Kim Kelly is a freelance labor reporter who has written for Teen Vogue, The Baffler, Vox, and many others. She is also writing a book for One Signal Publishers called “Fight Like Hell” that will come out in 2022. Follow Kim on Twitter as @GrimKim.
🎉 In April 2021, Tech Won’t Save Us celebrates its first birthday. If we get 30 new supporters at $5+ per month, we’ll start a weekly newsletter in addition to the weekly podcast to provide a new way for people to access critical perspectives on technology. If you like the show, become a supporter and help us reach our goal!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Kim wrote about the workers and organizers behind the Bessemer campaign, and how faith was an important motivating factor. She also reported on it for More Perfect Union.
- Alex Press outlined the history of civil rights unionism in the US South.
- Caroline O’Donovan explained how Amazon workers are organizing beyond Bessemer, and why some don’t plan to seek NLRB recognition.
- Luis Feliz Leon wrote about the growing international movement to challenge Amazon.
- The Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union challenged the result of the Bessemer union vote over Amazon’s union busting tactics.
- The New York Times spoke to some workers who voted “no” for the union.
- Amazon promotes its $15 minimum wage, but it actually pushes down wages in the warehousing sector.
- The PRO Act is a major change to US labor legislation that would make it easier to unionize.
Vaccine Passports Are Not the Solution w/ Elizabeth Renieris
Paris Marx is joined by Elizabeth Renieris to discuss why we should be concerned about proposals for vaccine passports and how they could create a precedent for a larger rollout of digital identity documents.
Elizabeth Renieris is a practitioner fellow at Stanford University’s Digital Civil Society Lab and a tech + human rights fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter as @hackylawyer.
🎉 In April 2021, Tech Won’t Save Us celebrates its first birthday. If we get 30 new supporters at $5+ per month, we’ll start a weekly newsletter in addition to the weekly podcast to provide a new way for people to access critical perspectives on technology. If you like the show, become a supporter and help us reach our goal!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Elizabeth wrote about what’s really at stake in the vaccine passport debate.
- The US federal government has talked about leaving this to the private sector, the EU is planning a “digital green pass” for travel, and Israel rolled out a “green passport” for vaccinated people to gain access to various public and private spaces.
- Contact tracing apps did not deliver on their big promises.
- New York’s vaccine passport has already been forged.
- Rolling out vaccine passports has high costs for businesses who will want to use that infrastructure in other ways.
- Parts of the Global South may not receive mass Covid vaccinations until 2024.
- The modern passport regime was created in the 1920s, with the goal being to eventually abolish it. Now borders are being equipped with facial recognition cameras and border guards can check your phone.
Bursting the NFT Bubble w/ Jacob Silverman
Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the implications of the recent NFT boom, the libertarian ideology that underpins crypto, and where the hype economy goes from here.
Jacob Silverman is a staff writer at The New Republic and the author of “Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection.” Follow Jacob on Twitter as @SilvermanJacob.
🎉 In April 2021, Tech Won’t Save Us celebrates its first birthday. If we get 30 new supporters at $5+ per month, we’ll start a weekly newsletter in addition to the weekly podcast to provide a new way for people to access critical perspectives on technology. If you like the show, become a supporter and help us reach our goal!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Jacob wrote about all the things rich people are spending their money on during the pandemic, including NFTs and cryptocurrencies.
- Everest Pipkin explained all of the environmental problems with NFTs, and how they’re built into the core of the technology.
- Some people are buying NFTs, then finding they disappear or can’t be accessed.
- Bitcoin uses more energy than Argentina, but could consume more than Australia by 2024.
- Bill Gates said Bitcoin is a “pure ‘greater fool theory’ type of investment.”
- Anil Dash explained that NFTs were supposed to help artists, not just be another speculative asset.
- Taylor Lorenz wrote about how creators are monetizing their lives.
- The New York Times and Forbes (among others) sold NFTs while reporting on them.
- Tom Brady is the latest celebrity to get into NFTs.
- The NFT boom may already be going bust.
Digital Redlining in the Frictionless Society w/ Chris Gilliard
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss how decisions by powerful institutions over how to implement new technologies in cities, education, health, and more have the effect of creating a form of digital redlining that hides existing social problems.
Chris Gilliard is a Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center and teaches at Macomb Community College. You can follow Chris on Twitter as @hypervisible.
🎉 In April 2021, Tech Won’t Save Us celebrates its first birthday. If we get 30 new supporters at $5+ per month, we’ll start a weekly newsletter in addition to the weekly podcast to provide a new way for people to access critical perspectives on technology. If you like the show, become a supporter and help us reach our goal!
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Chris wrote about how technology can hide racism in the "frictionless" society. He also wrote about digital redlining in education.
- Despite redlining being outlawed, the effects can still be seen in many outcomes, including health. See the redlining maps at Mapping Inequality.
- Amazon originally excluded predominantly Black communities when it rolled out same-day delivery in Boston.
- In 2019, Facebook was sued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for allowing discrimination in its housing ads. In 2020, it was found to still be doing it.
- Bots are getting US vaccine appointments, and programmers are having to help relatives get appointments.
Elon Musk Isn’t Saving Humanity w/ Manu Saadia
Paris Marx is joined by Manu Saadia to discuss the roots of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space, and why they serve the billionaires’ need for control, not the betterment of humanity.
Manu Saadia is the author of “Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek.”
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Elon Musk said he’s accumulating wealth to make life multiplanetary. Jeff Bezos said he can only think to spend his Amazon “winnings” on space.
- In “Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity,” Daniel Deudney outlines the two space paradigms discussed in the episode. You can also read a review of it.
- Werhner von Braun, who was key to the US Apollo Program, was a Nazi scientist who came to the US after World War II.
- Carl Sagan said “there is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. … For the moment, Earth is where we make our stand.” Elon Musk laughed at this and claimed Mars is the alternative, but Shannon Stirone explained why he is very wrong.
- Salvage published an editorial on the immediate need to repair the damage done by capitalism.
- Science fiction mentioned: Ursula Le Guin’s “The Dispossessed,” Octavia Butler, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Robert Heinlein.
How Britain Killed its Computing Industry w/ Mar Hicks
Paris Marx is joined by Mar Hicks to discuss why we need to know the history of tech and how the British history of sexism and colonialism in computing has lessons for the present-day US tech industry.
Mar Hicks is the co-editor of “Your Computer Is on Fire,” along with Thomas S. Mullaney, Benjamin Peters, and Kavita Philip. They are also the author of “Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing” and an Associate Professor of the History of Technology at Illinois Tech. Follow Mar on Twitter as @histoftech.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Mar wrote about the story of COBOL computer systems in the early months of the pandemic and how Britain killed its tech industry.
- Google fired top AI ethicists Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell after their research was critical of the company’s practices. Diversity recruiter April Christina Curley was also fired in September 2020.
Is Bill Gates a “Good” Billionaire? w/ Tim Schwab
Paris Marx is joined by Tim Schwab to discuss how Bill Gates wields his wealth to shape public policy, the many conflicts of interest of Bill and his Foundation, and how legitimate criticism of power is being positioned as conspiracy.
Tim Schwab is an investigative journalist whose recent work on the Gates Foundation has been published by The Nation, the Columbia Review of Journalism, and the British Medical Journal. Follow Tim on Twitter as @TimothyWSchwab.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Tim wrote about the Gates Foundation’s conflicts of interest, in particular during the pandemic. He also wrote about how Gates’ funding of media and health data produces accountability and transparency problems.
- Paris had a viral thread about Gates’ intervention in the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, after which an interview said it was a conspiracy theory.
- After getting the rights to the Oxford vaccine, AstraZeneca ran into trouble in clinical trials.
- The Associated Press found three factories in Bangladesh alone that could be producing vaccines if patent protections were waived.
- The Mail and Guardian in South Africa published an article on Bill Gates’ complicity in vaccine apartheid and the author’s Twitter account was locked for tweeting about it.
- In 2015, Thomas Piketty talked to the BBC about the problems with billionaire philanthropy.
How Algorithms Are Transforming Work w/ Callum Cant
Paris Marx is joined by Callum Cant to discuss the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber drivers are workers, his experience organizing as a Deliveroo worker, and how algorithmic management is transforming work.
Callum Cant is the author of “Riding for Deliveroo: Resistance in the New Economy.” He’s also the head of communications at Momentum and an editor at Notes from Below. Follow Callum on Twitter as @CallumCant1.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The UK Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers are not self-employed. It’s a win for workers.
- In 1976, workers at Lucas Aerospace produced the Alternative Corporate Plan, otherwise known as the Lucas Plan, that reimagined how production could be used to address social needs.
- Thinkers mentioned: Stan Weir, Romano Alquati, Eric Blanc’s “Red State Revolt,” E.P Thompson.
Why We Need a Luddite Politics of Tech w/ Gavin Mueller
Paris Marx is joined by Gavin Mueller to discuss who the Luddites really were, what they can teach us about how we think about technology today, and why they show the need for a decelerationist politics of the future.
Gavin Mueller is the author of “Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your Job.” He’s also a lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam and a member of the editorial collective of Viewpoint Magazine. Follow Gavin on Twitter as @gavinmuellerphd.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- An excerpt of Gavin’s book was recently published in Logic Magazine, and previously criticized fully automated luxury communism.
- Gavin recommends E.P Thompson’s “The Making of the English Working Class”
- Courts ruled that Uber drivers in the UK are workers, and Deliveroo couriers in Amsterdam are employees.
Australia’s Plan to Make Tech Pay for News w/ Lizzie O’Shea
Paris Marx is joined by Lizzie O’Shea to discuss how Australia’s plan to make Google and Facebook pay news publishers entrenches a data-extractive business model and aligns the interests of tech giants and media companies against those of the public.
Lizzie O’Shea is a human rights lawyer and the founder of Digital Rights Watch. She’s also the author of “Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us about Digital Technology.” Follow Lizzie on Twitter as @Lizzie_OShea.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Lizzie wrote about the problems with this plan for Overland Journal and Nikkei Asia.
- Paris wrote about why we shouldn’t link big tech and news giants for Tribune Magazine.
- Facebook restricted news sharing in Australia, while Google has signed deals with News Corp, Nine Entertainment, Seven West Media, and more for its News Showcase.
- Australia has among the most concentrated media ownership in the world. Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull called for a royal commission on Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
- Australia’s competition regulator released a digital platforms report with recommendations that included the bargaining code in 2019.
- Canada and the European Union may copy Australia’s model. French publishers are already getting paid by Google.
How Indonesian Gig Workers Are Organizing w/ Rida Qadri
Paris Marx is joined by Rida Qadri to discuss how gig workers in Jakarta created networks of mutual aid in the face of a lack of support from companies and the government, and how their experiences show the importance of workers’ local knowledge for delivery platforms.
Rida Qadri is a PhD candidate in Urban Information Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Follow Rida on Twitter as @qadrida.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Rida wrote about how delivery platforms in Jakarta show the importance of the human workers and their local knowledge.
- Paris wrote about Uber’s dark side, including its lack of support for drivers in Mexico and Brazil who faced violence.
- Gojek and Grab may merge, which would cause problems for gig workers in Southeast Asia.
Amazon’s Vigorous Opposition to Unions w/ Lauren Kaori Gurley
Paris Marx is joined by Lauren Kaori Gurley to discuss how Amazon surveils workers to stop them from organizing, the difficult working conditions in warehouses and for delivery drivers, and whether Jeff Bezos become Executive Chair will change anything.
Lauren Kaori Gurley is a labor reporter at Motherboard/Vice. Follow Lauren on Twitter as @LaurenKGurley.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Lauren wrote about how Amazon’s Global Security Operations Center has a massive surveillance operation involving Pinkertons, and how the company monitors Facebook groups and internal listservs. She also spoke to workers about how they felt about it.
- Paris wrote that Jeff Bezos’ legacy as CEO is one of brutal exploitation and that can’t be forgotten.
- Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You shows how the gig economy ruins people’s lives.
- During the pandemic, there were Amazon walkouts across the United States and global protests during the pandemic. Workers in Bessemer, Alabama are also voting on unionization.
- Amazon stole delivery drivers’ tips and has been forced to repay them $61.7 million.
How Nostalgia Serves Corporate Power w/ Grafton Tanner
Paris Marx is joined by Grafton Tanner to discuss how social media constantly resurfaces the past, why film and television uses nostalgia to keep us engaged, and whether there’s a way to wield nostalgia in pursuit of a better world.
Grafton Tanner is the author of “The Circle of the Snake: Nostalgia and Utopia in the Age of Big Tech” and “Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave and the Commodification of Ghosts.” Grafton is also writing “The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia” for Repeater Books, due out in October 2021. Follow Grafton on Twitter as @GraftonTanner.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about consolidation in the film and television industries.
- Disney lobbied to extend copyright terms and what it might mean when Mickey Mouse goes into the public domain.
- George Lucas describes how commercialism limits what kind of movies can be made (17:18-18:40).
- Hollywood is using AI to help decide which films get made.
- A Harry Potter television series is in early development at HBO Max.
- Books mentioned in this episode: “The Future of Nostalgia” by Svetlana Boym, “New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future” by James Bridle, “Protocol: How Control Exists After Decentralization” by Alexander Galloway, “The End of Forgetting: Growing Up with Social Media” by Kate Eichhorn, “Radical Nostalgia: Spanish Civil War Commemoration in America” by Peter Glazer, and “Left in the Past: Radicalism and the Politics of Nostalgia” by Alastair Bonnett.
- Movies and shows mentioned in this episode: Ready Player One, San Junipero (Black Mirror), eXistenZ, The Matrix, and The Merchants of Cool.
How YouTube Normalizes Right-Wing Extremism w/ Becca Lewis
Paris Marx is joined by Becca Lewis to discuss YouTube’s history of incentivizing extreme content, how the storming of the US Capitol shows the power of media spectacle, and why we should see social media platforms as media companies.
Becca Lewis is a PhD candidate in Communication at Stanford University. She’s also written for a number of publications, including NBC News, Vice News, and New York Magazine. Follow Becca on Twitter as @beccalew.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read Becca’s report for Data & Society, “Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on YouTube.” You can also read her articles on YouTube radicalization, the final report on the Christchurch shooting, and why Trump’s Twitter ban was an editorial decision.
- Jacob Hamburger explains why the “intellectual dark web” and its claims about political correctness are nothing new.
- Alex Nichols explains how New Atheism was a precursor to the IDW and alt-right influencers.
- The video of Ben Affleck pushing back against Sam Harris’ Islamophobia on Bill Maher’s show, which was supposedly Dave Rubin’s “classical liberal” awakening.
- Zeynep Tufekci describes how YouTube’s recommendation algorithm recommends increasingly more extreme videos.
- Twitter workers demanded Trump be banned before Jack Dorsey announced the decision.
- People who inspire how Becca thinks about platforms: Robyn Caplan at Data & Society and Tarleton Gillespie at Microsoft Research.
Why We Need a Democratic Approach to Data w/ Salomé Viljoen
Paris Marx is joined by Salomé Viljoen to discuss existing proposals to expand individual data rights or treat it as a form of labor, why we instead need to see data governance as a collective democratic project, and how that would give us the power to decide what data is collected and what it’s used for.
Salomé Viljoen is an affiliate at Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and a joint postdoctoral fellow at NYU School of Law’s Information Law Institute and the Cornell Tech Digital Life Initiative. Follow Salomé on Twitter as @salome_viljoen_.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read Salomé article about data egalitarianism for Phenomenal World.
- People who write about informational capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff and Nick Couldry on one side, and Jathan Sadowski and Julie Cohen on the side that Salomé prefers.
- People talking about data as property or labor: Andrew Yang through the Data Dividend Project, Eric Posner and Glen Weyl in “Radical Markets,” and Jaron Lanier.
- Proto-data egalitarian examples: Andrea Nahler’s proposal for a civic data trust, Barcelona’s civic data trust, the US Census, and learning from libraries’ management of public information.
The Frictionless World of Silicon Valley w/ Anna Wiener
Paris Marx is joined by Anna Wiener to discuss her journey into the tech industry, how Silicon Valley’s desire for a “frictionless” world is affecting culture, and why it’s important to analyze Substack’s claims about the future of journalism.
Anna Wiener is the author of “Uncanny Valley” (available in paperback on Bookshop) and a contributing writer at the New Yorker. Follow Anna on Twitter as @annawiener.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read Anna’s articles on Substack, Section 230, and Salesforce Park in San Francisco.
- Ava Kofman, Francis Tseng, and Moira Weigel explain how Amazon self-publishing has become a haven for white supremacists.
- Venture-capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz wrote about what they see as the “passion economy.”
Platforms for Public Good w/ Mathew Lawrence & Thomas Hanna
Paris Marx is joined by Mathew Lawrence and Thomas Hanna to discuss the problems with platforms, why antitrust alone is not enough to fix them, and how we can encourage the creation of democratic platforms that serve the public good.
Mathew Lawrence is the founder and director of Common Wealth. He’s also the co-author of “Planet on Fire: A Manifesto for the Age of Environmental Breakdown.” Preorder it now from Verso Books and follow him on Twitter as @DantonsHead.
Thomas Hanna is the research director at The Next System Project. He’s the author of “Our Common Wealth: The Return of Public Ownership in the United States.” Follow him on Twitter as @ThomasMHanna.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Mathew and Thomas wrote a new report with Nils Peters called “A Common Platform: Reimagining Data and Platforms.”
- Eric Levitz wrote about how venture capitalists are like US central planners.
- Dan Hind wrote a previous report called “The British Digital Cooperative.”
The Complex Systems that Govern Our Lives w/ Tim Maughan
Paris Marx is joined by Tim Maughan to discuss the exploitative infrastructures that make the modern world possible, how complex technological systems rob us of our power to control our collective destiny, and why predicting trends isn’t hard when you understand capitalism.
Tim Maughan is the author of “Infinite Detail” and “Ghost Hardware.” He’s also written for BBC Future, New Scientist, and Motherboard, and is writing a new column for OneZero. Follow Tim on Twitter as @timmaughan.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read about the trip Tim took with Unknown Fields on a container ship, at manufacturing sites in China, and near a toxic lake in Inner Mongolia that’s the product of mining rare-earth minerals.
- Read the first article in Tim’s new column, No One’s Driving.
- Kim Stanley Robinson says billionaire space visions are “just a fantasy of our culture right now.”
- Media mentioned by Tim: Judge Dredd comics, The Running Man, RoboCop, Rollerball, and Ad Astra.
How Urban Tech Increases Corporate Control w/ David Banks
Paris Marx is joined by David Banks to discuss how tech solutions to increase corporate control in cities will be sold to us as fun and convenient, and what that will actually means for access and equity in urban life.
David Banks is a visiting assistant professor at the University at Albany. He’s the editor-at-large at Real Life, and has written for The Baffler, e-flux architecture, and Current Affairs. Follow David on Twitter as @DA_Banks.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Read David’s articles for Real Life on the subscriber city and e-flux architecture on software as infrastructure.
- Paris wrote about the end of the Paramount Decrees, including what it could mean for the future of cinemas.
- How people are fighting back against landlords attempts to use tech against tenants (“proptech”).
- Slavoj Žižek gives a father/son example of totalitarianism (from ~0:00-3:00).
- David Harvey’s “Right to the City” essay mentions how homeownership makes people more conservative.
- Red Vienna remains a great example of public housing.
- Kevin Rogan wrote about how smart-city technologies are designed to hide human labor.
- Books in this show: “Radicalized” by Cory Doctorow, “Urban Warfare” by Raquel Rolnik, “Capital City” by Samuel Stein, and “Loft Living” by Sharon Zukin
Why Game and Tech Workers Are Organizing w/ Emma Kinema
Paris Marx is joined by Emma Kinema to discuss how workers are organizing in the video game and tech industries, the challenges faced by those workers, and the importance of organizing to improve workplaces, but also larger economic structures.
Emma Kinema is a former tech and games worker who is a Campaign Lead with the Communications Workers of America on the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees. She also co-founded Game Workers Unite. Follow Emma on Twitter as @EmmaKinema.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com and Passage at readpassage.com.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Emma spoke about labor organizing in the video games industry at XOXO Festival.
- Paris wrote about why game workers are organizing in Australia, Canada, and France.
- In January 2020, GDC’s State of Games Industry report found 54% of game workers thought they should unionize.
- Workers at Riot Games walked out in May 2019. Workers at Blizzard Entertainment walked out in October 2019. Workers at Lovestruck went on strike and got an average raised of 78%.
- Rockstar’s co-founder said there were 100-hour weeks ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2. Bioware workers said “depression and anxiety are an epidemic” within the company. CD Projekt Red said there wouldn’t be crunch on Cyberpunk 2077, then enforced it anyway.
Fighting for Gig Workers’ Rights After Prop 22 w/ Wilfred Chan
Paris Marx is joined by Wilfred Chan to discuss how gig companies misled California voters to back Prop 22, whether the Biden administration will be an ally to gig workers, and the need for solidarity in the fight to preserve (and expand) labor rights.
Wilfred Chan is a contributing writer at the Nation. He has also written for Dissent, The Guardian, NBC News, and more. Read his recent piece on the fight for labor rights after Prop 22. Follow Wilfred on Twitter as @wilfredchan.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
If you want to join the Discord and check out the new supporter tiers, head over to Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The Economic Policy Institute published an explainer on California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) and worker misclassification
- The gig companies bought endorsements and sent out fake progressive mailers for Prop 22. The head of California’s NAACP stepped down after the election for taking $1.7 million to back ballot measures.
- VP-elect Kamala Harris’ brother-in-law Tony West is chief legal officer at Uber, and now there are calls to make him Attorney General in a Biden administration
- Biden’s transition team is full of people from Big Tech with concerning pasts, including from Uber and Lyft
- Uber and Lyft’s share prices soared after Prop 22 won
- Find out more about Rideshare Drivers United and New York Taxi Workers Alliance
How Spotify is Built On Artist Exploitation w/ Liz Pelly
Paris Marx is joined by Liz Pelly to discuss how the Spotify model of streaming music continues a long trend of exploitation in the music industry and why musicians need to organize around a vision for a different world of music.
Liz Pelly is a freelance writer and critic who has spent the past decade working with community arts spaces. She is also a contributing editor and columnist at The Baffler. Follow Liz on Twitter as @lizpelly.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Read the plan for the future of the show and supporter benefits on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Liz’s work looks at many aspects of Spotify, including the model it’s pushing on musicians and increasingly on podcasters
- Paris has written about how consolidation and the emergence of streaming is having similarly negative effects in film and television
- Naomi Klein explains how New Deal arts programs funded 225,000 musical performances which reached 150 million Americans — and much more
- Cherie Hu tweeted a diagram showing how different streaming and music companies have stakes in one another
- The Verge obtained Sony Music’s contract with Spotify
- How Galaxy 500 and Pavement had random songs take off on Spotify
- Spotify CEO says artists need to record music more frequently
- Henderson Cole’s proposal for an American Music Library
- The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers launched the Justice at Spotify campaign
The Injury Crisis in Amazon Warehouses w/ Will Evans
Paris Marx is joined by Will Evans to discuss how excessive productivity targets are causing high rates of injury at Amazon warehouses, how executives have misled the public about the problem, and what that suggests about the impacts of the company’s “customer obsession.”
Will Evans is a reporter at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Read his investigation about Amazon’s safety crisis. Follow Will on Twitter as @willCIR.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Read the plan for the future of the show and supporter benefits on Patreon.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris reflected on what Will’s investigation suggested about the relationship between consumerism and workers’ rights for NBC News.
- Will did an earlier investigation about safety (or the lack thereof) at Tesla.
- Brian Merchant wrote an “op-ed from the future” looking at how technology hides the harm to workers in a fictional fully automated Amazon warehouse.
How Video Games are Shaped by Capitalism w/ Daniel Joseph
Paris Marx is joined by Daniel Joseph to discuss the relationship between video games and capitalism, how the gaming experience has become increasingly commercialized, and what the new consoles — Xbox Series X|S and Playstation 5 — herald for the future of the industry.
Daniel Joseph is a Senior Lecturer of Digital Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University. Read his articles for Real Life about video games and capitalism and platformization, and for Briarpatch about what better platforms might look like. Follow Daniel on Twitter as @DanjoKaz00ie.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
** Support the show on Patreon and read the plan for the future.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- “If Xbox is Netflix, then Playstation is cinema” by Christopher Dring at GamesIndustry.biz
- How PS4 better positioned itself against Xbox One, including a short video about trading games
- Nintendo was charged with price fixing in the 1990s in the United States and Europe
- In 2015, Valve and Bethesda had to backtrack on plans to commercialize modding
- 53% of PS4 game sales were digital in 2019. That grew to 74% in the early part of 2020.
- David Nieborg and Thomas Poell’s work on platforms; Sarah Grimes’ work on commercialization of children’s gaming; the App Studies Initiative; and T.L. Taylor’s “Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming”
Jobs Suck, But Not Because of Automation w/ Aaron Benanav
Paris Marx is joined by Aaron Benanav to discuss why jobs are getting worse because the economy’s slowing down, not because technology is speeding up, and why that requires a vision of post-scarcity centered around human relationships instead of technological change.
Aaron Benanav is an economic historian and social theorist. He is a post-doctoral researcher at Humboldt University of Berlin and author of “Automation and the Future of Work.” Follow Aaron on Twitter as @abenanav.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Prop 22 passed in California, stopping gig workers from becoming employees
- Paris explains the limits of a basic income, how Aaron’s book helps us think about the future, and the problems with luxury communism
- Aaron explains why automation isn’t wiping out jobs
- Aaron’s science fiction reading list: “The Dispossessed,” “The Word for World is Forest,” and “Always Coming Home” by Ursula K. Le Guin; “Red Star” by Alexander Bogdanov; “Hard to be a God” and “Noon: 22nd Century” by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky; “News from Nowhere” by William Morris; “Looking Backward” by Edward Bellamy; “The Conquest of Bread” by Peter Kropotkin; “Trouble on Triton” by Samuel R. Delaney; “Star Maker” by Olaf Stapledon; and “Utopia” by Thomas Moore.
Section 230 Protects Free Expression Online w/ Evan Greer
Paris Marx is joined by Evan Greer to discuss Republican and Democratic desires to amend or revoke Section 230, why the proposals won’t solve problems with Big Tech, and the international implications of US decisions about moderation.
Evan Greer is an activist, musician, and writer. She is the deputy director at Fight for the Future, which is currently running campaigns to protect Section 230 called Save Online Free Speech and to ban facial recognition technology. Follow Evan on Twitter as @evan_greer.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Evan wrote about the problems with algorithmic amplification for Wired
- There is no anti-conservative bias on social media and Facebook’s algorithms connected extremists with hate groups
- Facebook removes the accounts of anti-government activists internationally and an internal memo by a former employee says it doesn’t care about its impacts if Western media won’t find out about it
- SESTA/FOSTA made life harder for sex workers, but has also empowered a movement for decriminalization
- Zoom deleted meetings discussing its own censorship
What Rural China Teaches Us About the Future of Tech w/ Xiaowei Wang
Paris Marx is joined by Xiaowei Wang to discuss how technology is being used to connect rural China to global supply chains, what that means for life and work in those communities, and how China also holds inspiration for a different way of organizing production and technological development.
Xiaowei Wang is a technologist, artist, and writer. They are the creative director at Logic Magazine and author of “Blockchain Chicken Farm: And Other Stories of Tech in China’s Countryside.” Follow Xiaowei on Twitter as @xrw.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets. You can also find out more about 49th Parahell on its website.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- How China’s Sanlu milk scandal shattered trust in the food system
- Garrett Hardin, who came up with the tragedy of the commons, was a racist, eugenicist, nativist, and Islamophobe — and those ideas are baked into the concept
- Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize in Economics for her work on the governance of commons, rebuking Hardin’s ideas
- Xiaowei wrote about the Chinese concept of “shanzhai” provides a vision of an open-source future of technological development
Why Google’s Ad Business Could Implode w/ Tim Hwang
Paris Marx is joined by Tim Hwang to discuss how digital ad markets became financialized, why Google and Facebook have an incentive to hide how poorly digital ads actually work, and how a financial bubble in digital advertising could usher in a better future of the internet.
Tim Hwang is a writer, researcher, and former global public policy lead for artificial intelligence and machine learning at Google. He is also the author of “Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet.” Follow Tim on Twitter as @timhwang.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets. You can also find out more about Alberta Advantage on their website.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner isn’t so sure Cambridge Analytica was as good at changing our minds as it made us all believe.
- When Procter and Gamble cut their digital ad spend by $200 million, its reach increased by 10%.
- A Google report found that 56% of ad impressions may not even be seen by humans.
- Facebook’s “pivot to video” was based on false metrics and caused a lot of journalists to lose their jobs.
- Paris wrote a critical review of The Social Dilemma for Jacobin.
Silicon Valley is Embracing Anti-China Nationalism w/ JS Tan
Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss the internet’s connection with neoliberalism, China’s protectionist measures to develop its own tech industry, and how the new tensions between the United States and China are leading Silicon Valley to embrace nationalism.
JS Tan is a former tech worker and writer. He also started Collective Actions in Tech. He recently wrote articles about the tech angle on the Cold War for Foreign Policy and Trump’s attempted TikTok ban for Jacobin. Follow JS on Twitter as @organizejs.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets. You can also find Kino Lefter on Twitter.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- The solidarity between tech workers in the United States and China
- Key insights into tech worker activism from the Collective Actions in Tech database
- Mark Zuckerberg’s speech at Georgetown University
- Peter Thiel’s tech nationalism op-ed in the New York Times
- Eric Schmidt’s tech nationalism op-ed in the New York Times
Major Publishers Want to Shut Down Digital Lending w/ Maria Bustillos
Paris Marx is joined by Maria Bustillos to discuss the important work of the Internet Archive, why it opened a digital National Emergency Library during the pandemic, how access to culture is essential for the social good, and why the major publishers are trying to permanently restrict digital lending in a narrow-minded bid for short-term profit.
Maria Bustillos is the founding editor of Popula and Brick House. She recently wrote about the major publishers’ lawsuit against the Internet Archive for The Nation. Find out more about Brick House and follow Maria on Twitter as @mariabustillos.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Nail Gaiman explained how piracy is the digital equivalent of lending and increased the sales of his books.
- How long copyright terms make our culture disappear.
- Microsoft simply turned off access to all the ebooks it sold with DRM.
- Amazon deleted copies of George Orwell’s “1984” from people’s Kindles.
- The new North American trade agreement extended Canadian copyright terms by 20 years.
- It’s unlikely that US copyright terms will be extended again. The Authors Guild would even be open to reducing terms by 20 years.
How Google & Facebook Dominate Digital Ads w/ Shoshana Wodinsky
Paris Marx is joined by Shoshana Wodinsky to discuss how digital ad markets work, how Google and Facebook maintain their dominance, and why the TikTok saga wasn’t really about China getting people’s data at all.
Shoshana Wodinsky is a data reporter at Gizmodo. She recently wrote how banning TikTok won’t do anything about data going to China and how the US Congress might break up the tech monopolies. Follow Shoshana on Twitter as @swodinsky.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
How Foxconn Treats the Workers Who Built Your iPhone w/ Jenny Chan
Paris Marx is joined by Jenny Chan to discuss the difficult lives of Foxconn factory workers, the company’s relationship with Apple, the structural roadblocks to better working conditions, and how Chinese workers are trying to push back.
Jenny Chan is the co-author of “Dying for an iPhone: Apple, Foxconn, and The Lives of China’s Workers” with Mark Selden and Pun Ngai. It’s available from Haymarket Books and Pluto Press. She is also an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
A Better Internet Requires Ending the Monopolies w/ Cory Doctorow
Paris Marx is joined by Cory Doctorow to discuss how the problems we associate with Big Tech aren’t the result of mind-control systems, but corporation consolidation. Cory argues we need to stop buying the overblown sales pitch, stop collecting so much data, and enforce antitrust legislation against the tech monopolies.
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. His most recent non-fiction book, “How to Defeat Surveillance Capitalism,” is available for free at OneZero. You can also preorder his next fiction book, “Attack Surface,” on Kickstarter or anywhere else books are sold. Cory has a daily blog at Pluralistic.net and you can follow him on Twitter as @doctorow.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Thinking about Tech in the Present Tense w/ Ben Tarnoff
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff to discuss why we should look to the Luddites for inspiration, how history could inform a better future of technology, and what tech organizing might look like under a Joe Biden administration.
Ben Tarnoff is a co-founder of Logic Magazine and co-authored “Voices from the Valley: Tech Workers Talk About What They Do–and How They Do It” with Moira Weigel. The book will be released in October and can be preordered now. Follow Ben on Twitter as @bentarnoff.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Mentioned in this episode:
- “To decarbonize we must decomputerize: why we need a Luddite revolution” by Ben Tarnoff
- “From Manchester to Barcelona” by Ben Tarnoff
- “The Making of the Tech Worker Movement” by Ben Tarnoff
- “The Making of the English Working Class” by E.P. Thompson
- “The Machine Breakers” by Eric Hobsbawm
- “Present Tense Technology” by David Noble
We Can’t Talk About Tech Without Talking About Resources w/ Thea Riofrancos
Paris Marx is joined by Thea Riofrancos to discuss why we should care about the supply chains of technology, what that resource extraction means for people in Latin America, and how we should think about a less resource-intensive future.
Thea Riofrancos is the author of “Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador” and co-author of “A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal.” She is also an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College and a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute. Her argument against green extractivism was published by Logic Magazine. Follow Thea on Twitter as @triofrancos.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- “Planetary Mine: Territories of Extraction under Late Capitalism” by Martín Arboleda
- “Could a Green New Deal makes us happier people?” by Kate Aronoff
- “Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars?: Public Transit in the Age of Google, Uber, and Elon Musk” by James Wilt
How Tech Journalism Legitimized the Gig Economy w/ Sam Harnett
Paris Marx is joined by Sam Harnett to talk about how the flaws in tech journalism provide a distorted view of what “tech” companies are actually doing and why it looks like California will finally force ride-hail drivers to be recognized as employees (without Uber and Lyft).
Sam Harnett is a reporter covering labor and tech at KQED in the Bay Area. He recently made a radio series called “How We Got to Here” and is the co-creator of The World According to Sound. Sam has an essay about the problems with tech journalism in “Beyond the Algorithm: Qualitative Insights for Gig Work Regulation.” Follow Sam on Twitter as @SamWHarnett.
For more related articles, see Sam’s article about how Uber and Lyft evaded regulations for eight years, Paris’ article on why California should kick them out if they won’t comply with labor law, and Veena Dubal’s criticism of the franchise model they’re now considering.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
What the History of TV Can Teach Us About Netflix w/ Tom Evens
Paris Marx is joined by Tom Evens to discuss how the history of the television industry can give us important insights into the state of streaming video services and how regulators might respond to ensure they serve the public good instead of just their private goals.
Tom Evens is the co-author of “Platform Power and Policy in Transforming Television Markets” and a Professor of Media, Innovation and Communication Technologies at Ghent University. Follow Tom on Twitter as @EvensTom.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
How to Defeat an Apple Store w/ Tania Davidge
Paris Marx is joined by Tania Davidge to discuss the campaign to stop Apple from building a store in the middle of Melbourne’s Federation Square and how the company’s vision of a town square differs from what a true public space should be.
Tania Davidge is architect, artist, educator, writer, and researcher. She is the president of Citizens for Melbourne, a public space advocacy group, and the co-founder of the architectural research practice OoPLA. She recently wrote about the need to preserve Melbourne’s Federation Square as a key public gathering space. Follow Tania on Twitter as @taniadavidge.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
The Boring Company is a Complete Joke w/ Alissa Walker
Paris Marx is joined by Alissa Walker to discuss how Elon Musk’s Boring Company transportation system has changed over the past few years, what his plans in Las Vegas mean for workers and transit users, and why tech companies are distracting us from a real vision of better cities.
Alissa Walker is the urbanism editor at Curbed, co-host of LA Podcast, and a contributor to KCRW’s Greater LA. She recently reported on the latest updates on the Boring Company and its project in Las Vegas, and did a great breakdown of how the whole concept has evolved back in January. Follow Alissa on Twitter as @awalkerinLA.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Space Mining Brings Capitalism to the Cosmos w/ Julie Michelle Klinger
Paris Marx is joined by Julie Michelle Klinger to discuss the myths around rare earth elements and how they’re fueling a movement to enclose and mine space. But a better, more collaborative future that treats space as a commons is still possible, and the Global South may show us the way forward.
Julie Michelle Klinger is the author of “Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes” and an Assistant Professor of Geography & Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware. Her argument about why space is not the final frontier was recently published on urbanNext. Follow Julie on Twitter as @Prof_Klinger.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
The Global South Holds a Better Future of Tech w/ Juan Ortiz Freuler
Paris Marx is joined by Juan Ortiz Freuler to discuss the recent global negotiations on the taxation of multinational corporations, how Africa is demanding the digital labor of its citizens be accounted for, how these tensions threaten to fragment the web, and why the Global South may hold a better future of technology that transcends the capitalist, centralized, and individualist platforms which currently dominate.
Juan Ortiz Freuler is an Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and a member of the Tierra Común network of researchers. He recently made the case for a digital non-aligned movement. Follow Juan on Twitter as @juanof9.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Smart Tech Is Designed For Control w/ Jathan Sadowski
Paris Marx is joined by Jathan Sadowski to discuss the politics of smart technology, how it enables powerful actors to further control the population, and why we should be more comfortable dismantling technologies that don’t serve the public good.
Jathan Sadowski is the author of “Too Smart: How Digital Capitalism is Extracting Data, Controlling Our Lives, and Taking Over the World” and a Research Fellow in the Emerging Technologies Research Lab at Monash University. He recently wrote about how smart tech is a means for corporate control and the need to dismantle urban surveillance systems. Follow Jathan on Twitter as @jathansadowski.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Why Uber Failed at Micromobility w/ Aaron W. Gordon
Paris Marx is joined by Aaron W. Gordon to discuss how VC-backed tech companies upended the bike-share industry, how that specifically played out in the case of Uber and Jump, and why the dockless bike and scooter model is failing.
Aaron is a senior staff writer at Motherboard. He recently reported on Uber’s mismanagement of Jump Bikes. Follow Aaron on Twitter as @A_W_Gordon.
You can also read Paris’ thoughts on the future of micromobility.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Technofascism in India w/ Banu Subramaniam & Debjani Bhattacharyya
Paris Marx is joined by Banu Subramaniam and Debjani Bhattacharyya to discuss Indian politics under Narendra Modi and the BJP; how contract-tracing apps and geofencing are being used to monitor people during COVID-19; and how Hindu nationalism is informing responses to the pandemic on WhatsApp.
Banu Subramaniam is a professor of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of “Holy Science: The Biopolitics of Hindu Nationalism.” Debjani Bhattacharyya is an assistant professor of History at Drexel University and the author of “Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta: The Making of Calcutta.” They recently wrote about technofascism in India and how people are using WhatsApp in response to COVID-19. You can follow Debjani on Twitter at @itihaashtag.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Amazon Wants to Dominate Everything w/ Brian Merchant
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss how Amazon’s response to COVID-19 has put its workers in danger, how big tech companies are partnering with oil and gas companies, and why the pandemic makes it clear that shopping at Amazon is unethical.
Brian Merchant is a senior editor at OneZero and the author of “The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone”. He recently wrote how the pandemic is accelerating the Amazonification of the economy and why it’s unethical to continue giving Amazon money. Follow Brian on Twitter as @bcmerchant.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Tech Giants Don't Care About Black Lives w/ Edward Ongweso Jr.
Paris Marx is joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss how the labor practices, tech products, and global supply chains of tech companies prove they don't care about Black lives — regardless of what they've said in recent statements. Edward also explains why we should defund the police.
Edward Ongweso Jr. is a staff writer at Vice. He recently wrote about tech companies' response to Black Lives Matter and what it would mean to defund the police. Follow Edward on Twitter as @bigblackjacobin.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Art is More Than Ones and Zeroes w/ Nika Roza Danilova
Paris Marx is joined by Nika Roza Danilova to discuss how COVID-19 is affecting artists, the privileged worldview of tech, the human essence of art, and why that can’t be replicated by artificial intelligence. She also provides advice on how to best support artists and her hopes for what a better world for artists might look like.
Nika Roza Danilova makes music under the name Zola Jesus. Her fifth studio album, Okovi, was released in 2017. Read her essay “On AI and Silicon Fascist Privilege” for more insight on her perspective, and check out Koir, a website she co-founded to help artists livestream their performances. Follow Nika on Twitter as @zolajesus.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
A Cooperative Vision for Technological Innovation w/ Dan Hind
Paris Marx is joined by Dan Hind to discuss the problems with the existing tech industry and its links to the state, and his proposal for reorienting technological development to promote human flourishing and a cooperative economy.
Dan Hind is the author of “The Return of the Public: Democracy, Power and the Case for Media Reform” and recently wrote a report called “The British Digital Cooperative: A New Model Public Sector Institution” for The Next System Project and Common Wealth. He’s also written for the Guardian, the New Socialist, and the New Scientist. Follow Dan on Twitter as @danhind.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Uber's War on Drivers w/ Veena Dubal
Paris Marx is joined by Veena Dubal to discuss how Uber's misclassification of drivers of independent contractors denies them rights and protections granted to other workers; how that's causing even more problems during the pandemic; the ongoing fight in California to get drivers recognized as employees under Assembly Bill 5; and how ride-hailing services ushered in a second wave of deregulation in the taxi industry.
Veena Dubal is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of California, Hastings. Her work focuses on the intersection of law, tech, and precarious worker. She recently wrote about how Uber drivers are faring during the pandemic for The Guardian and the longer history of taxi regulation for Logic Magazine. Follow Veena on Twitter as @veenadubal.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
How Tech Platforms Affect Our Digital Lives w/ Joanne McNeil
Paris Marx is joined by Joanne McNeil to discuss how our experience online has evolved over the past three decades, the class backgrounds of tech founders, how the AIDS crisis robbed us an important contribution to the early web, and whether COVID-19 will change how we use platforms in the future.
Joanne McNeil is the author of “Lurking: How a Person Became a User.” She has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, WIRED, the Baffler, and more. Follow Joanne on Twitter as @jomc.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
History Shows Radical Futures Are Possible w/ Lizzie O'Shea
Paris Marx is joined by Lizzie O’Shea to discuss how learning about history can empower us to imagine more radical futures, how COVID-19 could create the opportunity to demand a better world, and how the praise for essential workers could help us rethink our ideas about work and the economy.
Lizzie O’Shea is the author of “Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us about Digital Technology.” She is also the founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch. She recently wrote about how there is no such thing as unskilled labor for The Baffler. Follow Lizzie on Twitter as @Lizzie_OShea.
The photo of the Paris Commune mentioned in the episode can be found here.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Tech Billionaires Think They’re Better Than You w/ Rob Larson
Paris Marx is joined by Rob Larson to discuss how tech billionaires use philanthropy to massage their images, how they're creating a world that leaves nearly everyone else worse off, and how we need to respond with an online socialism to bring tech platforms under worker control.
Rob Larson is the author of “Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley” and an economics professor at Tacoma Community College. He also recently wrote about how billionaire-funded philanthropy is a public-relations scam for Jacobin and how the tech platforms are on their best behavior during COVID-19 for Current Affairs. Follow Rob on Twitter as @IronicProfessor.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Fighting Back Against the Tech Monopolies w/ Grace Blakeley
Paris Marx is joined by Grace Blakeley to discuss how neoliberal capitalism benefits the tech monopolies, how they’re thriving as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and how workers fight back after the defeat of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn.
Grace Blakeley is the author of “Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation,” a staff writer at Tribune Magazine, and serves on the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum. She also recently wrote about how COVID-19 is accelerating tech monopolization for Novara Media. Follow Grace on Twitter as @graceblakeley.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Elon Musk is a Cult Leader w/ Ilari Kaila
Paris Marx is joined by Ilari Kaila to talk about Elon Musk's latest unhinged tweeting episode, his self-serving calls to end COVID-19 lockdowns, and how the outlandish promises he makes and stories he makes result in a cult-like devotion by those who follow him.
Ilari Kaila is a Finnish-American writer and Composer-in-Residence at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His work has been published by Aeon Magazine, Jacobin Magazine, Muftah Magazine, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, and others. Read his blog post about how Elon Musk is a cult leader at LimitedHangoutBlog.com and follow him on Twitter as @IlariKaila.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
How Tech Distracts Us From the Bigger Picture w/ Bianca Wylie
Paris Marx is joined by Bianca Wylie to talk about the response to COVID-19, how governments’ emphasis on tech solutions ignores (and potentially entrenches) social inequalities, and how we might take control of technology to ensure it works for the public good.
Bianca Wylie is the co-founder of Digital Public and Tech Reset Canada, and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Follow Bianca on Twitter as @biancawylie.
After listening to the interview, consider reading Chris Gilliard on luxury surveillance, Jay Pitter on forgotten densities, and Nora Loreto on long-term care facilities.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Bursting the Reality Bubble w/ Ziya Tong
Paris Marx is joined by Ziya Tong to talk about how COVID-19 is helping us to see the world in a new way, and how that might open the door to reimagining how we organize society. Our "reality bubbles" about work, the food system, technology, and our relationship to nature are being severely challenged, but the question remains whether we can seize this moment to build a better world in the pandemic's aftermath.
Ziya Tong is the author of "The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, and the Dangerous Illusions that Shape Our World", a former co-host of Daily Planet on the Discovery Channel, and sits on the board of World Wildlife Fund International. Follow Ziya on Twitter as @ziyatong.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Transit is the Future w/ James Wilt
Paris Marx is joined by James Wilt to talk about how COVID-19 is affecting transportation systems, the flaws in tech’s auto-oriented visions of the future, and why we need to fight for better transit systems to more equitably serve everyone.
James Wilt is the author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars?: Transit in the Age of Google, Uber, and Elon Musk". He's also written for Canadian Dimension, Briarpatch, and Passage. Follow James on Twitter as @james_m_wilt.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
Tech's Response to COVID-19 w/ Wendy Liu
Paris Marx is joined by Wendy Liu to talk about how the tech industry is responding to COVID-19, how tech workers may find their jobs at risk in the aftermath, and why we need to change the system to build tech for the public good instead of in service to private capital.
Wendy Liu is the author of "Abolish Silicon Valley: How to Liberate Technology from Capitalism." She has also written for Tribune Magazine, Logic Magazine, and the New Statesman. Follow Wendy on Twitter as @dellsystem.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
A Brief Introduction
Tech Won't Save Us challenges the notion that technology alone can solve our problems. Full episodes coming very soon.
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En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.