Articles in Tech

Why You Should Be a Luddite

Tech columnist Brian Merchant takes us back to the 19th century to see who the Luddites really were and what they fought for. Luddism, he says, is about “questioning who machinery serves.”


‘Techno-Optimism’ is Not Something You Should Believe In

Techno-optimism is a dangerous philosophy whose adherents espouse the blind faith that market capitalism and technology will solve the world’s problems. In reality, this kind of optimism simply justifies elite power and promotes indifference to human suffering.


How Can We Trust What We See?

The deepfake era threatens to further erode people’s ability to tell truth from lies, and bring cynicism and conspiracism to new levels. We can keep this from happening, but it will take the hard work of building trustworthy media institutions.


My Fight Against AI on The ‘Hardest Exam In The World’

ChatGPT takes an infamously unpredictable Oxford entrance exam, and reveals itself to be highly competent but also dull.


I Have Written a Strange Book About The Future of Artificial Intelligence

‘Echoland: A Comprehensive Guide to a Nonexistent Place’ is both a demonstration and a discussion of the possibilities of transformative new technologies.


AI Is About To Bring Us Into a Very Creepy New World

The ability to defraud and deceive is about to massively escalate. How can we remain anchored to reality?


The Right’s Opposition to Big Tech Is Hypocritical Posturing, But Shows Us How Conservatives Thrive

Right-wing policies are the reason there is unchecked corporate power in the first place. We need to expose the hollowness of anti-tech conservatism and articulate a persuasive left critique of Silicon Valley.


Let ChatGPT Convert You To Socialism

The AI text-generator is both terrifyingly good and comically limited. But one thing it excels at is helping us think more clearly about politics.


What Will Artificial Intelligence Do To Us?

Computers are able to do terrifyingly impressive things, with more to come. What does this mean for work? For art? For the future of the species?


What are Our Phones Doing to Us?

Are smartphones destroying our focus, our relationships, and even our humanity?


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