Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Tech Won't Save Us

Tech companies are working with the fossil fuel industry to push unnecessary data center projects while misrepresenting the climate impact — and governments are letting it all happen. Ketan Joshi joins Paris Marx to discuss how the data center buildout is driving a surge in fossil fuel investment, and how it’s all playing out in Australia.

Ketan Joshi is a climate writer and data analyst based in Oslo working with climate and environmental groups.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Click here to get your first month of Proton Mail for just $1.
• Preorder Hyperscale to support Paris at hyperscalebook.com.
• Ketan wrote a report on how Big Tech is greenwashing their destructive climate impacts.
• Ketan worked with Greenpeace to put out a report on how NVIDIA is greenwashing to hide their climate impacts.
• Ketan worked with Greenpeace on a report that explores how Australia’s data center buildout is completely derailing their renewable energy transition.

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Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 4 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.

The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Preorder Hyperscale to support Paris at hyperscalebook.com.
• Postdoctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University Émile P. Torres, Vanity Fair tech and business correspondent 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.

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Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 3 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.

The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Preorder Hyperscale to support Paris at hyperscalebook.com.
• Sustainable AI Group cofounder 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.

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Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 2 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.

The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Preorder Hyperscale to support Paris at hyperscalebook.com.
• 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.

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Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out on October 20. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 1 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us.

The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Preorder Hyperscale to support Paris at hyperscalebook.com.
• Senior cloud consultant Dwayne Monroe and Associate Professor in Economics Cecilia Rikap were interviewed for this episode.
• If you missed it, check out Cecilia Rikap’s latest chat with Paris here and grab her book The Rulers.
• Interviews with Jeff Bezos and The Oregonian journalist Mike Rogoway were cited.

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Not long ago, tech jobs were sought after for their security, benefits, wages, and the progressive values promoted by Silicon Valley companies. But now workers are barely hanging on. Clarissa Redwine and JS Tan join Paris Marx to discuss the state of worker organizing in the tech industry, including how it’s changed since the mid-2010s and where it needs to go from here.

Clarissa Redwine is a tech worker and labor activist. JS Tan is a PhD candidate at MIT and writes the Value Added newsletter. They are the authors of Against Tech Oligarchy: Worker Resistance in the World's Most Powerful Industry.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Learn more about Kickstarter United in Clarissa’s oral history podcast.
• Layoffs in 2026 have surpassed last year.
• Tech workers are pushing back against AI use.
• Paris talked to JS last year about the connection between tech and oil & gas.

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A cult of fascist ideology has gripped Silicon Valley, and the tech industrial complex is threatening US democracy. Gil Durán joins Paris Marx to discuss the radical billionaire cabal that is hellbent on the consolidation of corporate and political power, including the visions they have for the future and the strategies they’re using to drive us there.

Gil Durán is the author of The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy and writes The Nerd Reich newsletter. 

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Click here to get your first month of Proton Mail for just $1.
• Gil has written about Paulina Borsook’s prescient warning about tech libertarians from more than twenty years ago.
• Gil has written the foreword for the new edition of Cyberselfish.
• Balaji Srinivasan has moved his commune project to Kazakhstan after being booted from Malaysia. 
• Shout-out to friend of the pod Quinn Slobodian, who’s work you can find here. Paris recently talked to Quinn, check out that episode here if you missed it.

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Governments are prioritizing data centers at the expense of communities and the planet, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Matt Haugen joins Paris Marx to discuss how national strategies are dismantling environmental protections while enriching a handful of megacorporations, and what an alternative agenda could look like.

Matt Haugen is Research and Editorial Manager at the Climate and Community Institute.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Check out the new report Matt co-wrote AI First.
• If you missed it, Molly White recently broke down how the tech industry is spending big on elections.
• Big tech’s emissions are continuing to rise.
• Colossus is still being powered by unpermitted gas turbines.

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Canada has tech bros too, like Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke who has a new idea to link voting rights to how much income tax you paid. Rachel Gilmore joins Paris Marx to discuss how Canadian tech companies like Shopify are pushing terrible right-wing policy ideas while influencing Mark Carney’s agenda.

Rachel Gilmore is an award-winning independent journalist and creator of the Bubble Pop newsletter.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Click here to get your first month of Proton Mail for just $1.
• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Rachel has written about Tobi Lütke’s most recent awful ideas, including why it matters what the Canadian tech elite say.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to be implementing policies for tech oligarchs.
• Press Progress has done reporting on conservative media outlets platforming white nationalists.
• Check out the recent episode Paris did with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood for a deeper dive on Canada’s AI policies.

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As Big Tech’s power continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how companies use their control over cloud infrastructure and services to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views the world.

Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor at University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and the author of The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Cecilia and Paris worked on a white paper offering a roadmap to reclaiming digital sovereignty.

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Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighbourhoods — including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder. 

Hannah Cyrus is a digital media librarian at the Bangor Public Library. Alison Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Click here to get your first month of Proton Mail for just $1.
• The Library Freedom Project has a ton of resources on critically approaching technology.
• Bangor Daily News wrote about librarians like Hannah helping patrons get AI off their devices.
• Shout out to friend of the pod Brian Merchant and his book Blood in the Machine.
• Learn more about the Luddite Club.
• Learn more about the organization Libraries For The People, working to strengthen and expand libraries.
• Support your local library! Say hello, get a card if you don’t have one, and participate in community events.

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We are often told that resisting technological development is impossible and ‘progress’ is inevitable, but history says otherwise. Thomas Dekeyser joins Paris Marx to discuss how understanding radical resistances of the past can help us rethink our modern relationship with technology and reshape our vision of the future.

Thomas Dekeyser is a lecturer in human geography at the University of Southampton, author of Techno-Negative: A Long History of Refusing the Machine, and co-creator of the documentary Machines in Flames.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Shout out to friend of the pod The Luddite Club.
• This article by Saul Levin and Astra Taylor discusses the growing bipartisan opposition towards data centers.

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Last time it was the crypto industry; now the AI industry is stepping up to join it. Molly White joins Paris Marx to discuss how the tech sector is spending big to buy influence in the US midterm elections to ensure new laws serve its interests over those of the public.

Molly White is the creator of Tech Influence Watch and Web3 is Going Just Great. She writes the Citation Needed newsletter.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Molly just wrote about Trump’s $1.4 billion crypto disclosure.
• Molly wrote about the crypto industry’s recent election spending.
• Molly also wrote about how the Citizens United decision is affecting elections today.

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Public ire toward AI keeps growing as the data center boom continues to hit people’s pockets. Chris Person joins Paris Marx to discuss the soaring cost of consumer electronics, including why prices are unlikely to fall anytime soon, and how people can experiment with homespun cyberpunk tech.

Chris Person is a co-founder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book Hyperscale.
• Chris mentioned the BC250, an e-waste machine he’s written about recently.
• Chris also wrote a review of the Steam Machine.
• Xbox and Apple both announced price hikes this month.
• Stock prices for memory companies like SK Hynix are hitting record highs.

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As tech companies race to build hyperscale data centers, communities are coming together to push back. Saul Levin joins Paris Marx to discuss how rising opposition to data center construction is uniting people across party lines and prompting broader conversations around what infrastructure people want instead. 

Saul Levin is community organizer and host of The Hum.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• You can now pre-order Paris’s new book, Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires.
• Saul wrote a piece with Astra Taylor about the bigger picture of data center organizing.
• The Seminole Nation in Oklahoma passed a ban on AI data centers on their lands.
• Sam Altman and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posing together at the site of a new data center drew wide criticism.

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The Canadian government is going all in on AI, without understanding the real effects of the technology. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood joins Paris Marx to discuss Mark Carney’s push for large-scale investment in AI, despite being unable to describe how adoption will work, how Canadians will benefit, and what policies will be implemented to mitigate growing risks and harms. 

Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood senior researcher and political economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Hadrian wrote about the Canadian government’s new AI strategy.
• Paris wrote about the AI strategy and the new social media policy.
• The Canada Revenue Agency chatbot is expensive and giving incorrect information.
• The Canadian Immigration Department is using AI that hallucinates when reviewing applications.
• AI tools intended for Ontario doctors are providing incorrect information.
• Here’s an overview of the federal AI strategy, “AI for All.”

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The Uber model is finally coming for healthcare. Katie J. Wells joins Paris Marx to discuss how much the healthcare gig apps resemble Uber’s rollout, why they aren’t being properly regulated, and the effects they’re having on staff and patients alike.

Katie J. Wells is a Senior Fellow at AI Now Institute and a co-author of Disrupting D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Paris asked listeners to fill out a survey. It will only take a few minutes!
• Here is Katie’s most recent work examining the gig model for healthcare.
• Ontario’s auditor general found serious flaws in the transcripts of AI scribes.

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SpaceX is finally going public, and it’s bad news for anyone who wants to rein in Elon Musk. Sean O’Kane joins Paris Marx to discuss the flimsy sci-fi ideas Elon Musk is using to justify the company’s massive valuation and the way corporate governance rules are shifting to give him even more power.

Sean O’Kane is a senior reporter at TechCrunch.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Paris asked listeners to fill out a survey. It will only take a few minutes!
• Sean wrote about the SpaceX IPO and the worrying ways it will increase Elon Musk’s power.
• After recording, Sean also wrote about how SpaceX is getting a major boost from the Trump administration.
• SpaceX has made a deal with Anthropic.
• Musk has a poor environmental regulation record.
• OpenAI bought a tech podcast.

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Generative AI is making its way into many parts of society, and schools are no different. Tom Mullaney joins Paris Marx to discuss how generative AI has been adopted in K-12 education and the many concerns it presents for students and teachers.

Tom Mullaney is a high school social studies teacher in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Here is the New Yorker article on AI in schools.
• For those looking for a refresher on Weizenbaum and ELIZA.
• Here is the paper “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big”.
• For those curious about the Canvas breach.
• Students have been booing pro-AI speeches and AI presence in graduation ceremonies.
• xAI is facing a lawsuit for polluting Black neighborhoods.

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Polymarket and Kalshi are everywhere. But what are they doing to society? Jathan Sadowski joins Paris Marx to discuss the rise of prediction markets and their negative social effects as they push the global economy closer toward the financialization of everything. 

Jathan Sadowski is an Associate Professor at Monash University. He is the author of The Mechanic and the Luddite and co-hosts 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Jathan wrote about Kalshi trying to bring about the financialization of everything in Fast Company.
• The NYT reported on the use of classified information by a US soldier to place a bet on the capture of Maduro.
• Wired just reported on how the US is using AI to spot insider trading.
• Polymarket users sent death threats to a reporter.

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What happens when a government goes all in on AI? It creates some huge vulnerabilities. Will Dunn joins Paris Marx to dig into how the UK government is using chatbots to write laws without public consultation and why it isn’t asking the hard questions about the risks of that growing reliance on US technology.

Will Dunn is the business editor at the New Statesman.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Will wrote about the UK government’s adoption of AI and the risks it presents.
• Rishi Sunak is working with Anthropic.
• Sunak acknowledges companies reliant on AI technology are hiring less young people.
• Will shouts out the book Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott J. Shapiro.

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Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian to discuss their new book Muskism which explores how Elon Musk exemplifies a new economic system shaping our lives, similar to Fordism in the twentieth century.

Ben Tarnoff & Quinn Slobodian are the authors of Muskism. Ben is a writer and technologist based in Massachusetts and the author of Internet for the People. Quinn is professor of international history at Boston University, and the author of books like Crack-Up 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• For listeners who are feeling extra academic, here is the Milton Friedman economics paper, “The Methodology of Positive Economics.”
• Quinn discusses his struggle to find any reporting on Jared Leto and the Optimus robot media stunt (that goes deeper than commenting on the virality).

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Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss Apple’s announcement that Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, including his history and legacy, and what may be next for the company.

Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device and Blood in the Machine and writes a newsletter of the same name.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Brian’s most recent newsletter covers Tim Cook’s stepping down, as well as Palantir’s manifesto.
• Brian has previously written about Foxconn’s working conditions.
• Brian mentioned Patrick McGee’s book Apple in China.

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Paris Marx is joined by Karl Bode to discuss how tech journalists coupled with corporate interests are irresponsibly boosting the profile of tech CEOs, further damaging public trust in institutional journalism and highlighting the need for publicly funded media organizations.

Karl Bode is a freelance reporter and writes The Fine Print 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Karl wrote about how the press mythologizes tech CEOs.
• The New Yorker published a brutal article on Sam Altman’s compulsive lying to get ahead.
• OpenAI’s Pentagon deal led to a large user migration.
• Shout out to Karen Hao’s book Empire of AI
• Allbirds, the shoe company, is now entering the AI space.
• Here is the latest on the attacks on Sam Altman’s home.
• Meta has been found to amplify hate and contribute to genocide, something that is an ongoing concern with the platform. And we can’t forget about attempts to force their ‘Free Basics’ internet on India.

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Paris Marx is joined by Dara Kerr to discuss how Elon’s decision to prioritize aesthetics over safety has created a safety crisis causing people to burn alive in their Cybertrucks and other Tesla vehicles.

Dara Kerr is a technology reporter at Guardian 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 podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Dara wrote about fiery, deadly crashes involving Cybertrucks.
• Bloomberg has tracked the wider problem of Tesla door handles trapping occupants in their vehicles.
• Here is a report that supports the suggestion that Musk doesn’t like the colour yellow.
• Here is an analysis comparing the Cybertruck to the Ford Pinto.
• Cybertrucks are not approved for sale in the EU or UK.
• China is the first nation to legislate that handles must be mechanically functional from both sides of a vehicle door.

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Paris Marx is joined by Amanda Mull to discuss the effects of constantly “monitoring the situation” through custom news, social, or live feeds, including higher rates of anxiety and disconnection, and what can be done to recalibrate.

Amanda Mull is a senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and writes the Buying Power column.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Amanda wrote about what it means to be monitoring the situation.
• Feeling overwhelmed by technology? There’s a club for that.
• Looking for a source of tech news? Checkout Aftermath, or Disconnect.
• Friend of the pod Casey Johnston has written about her DIY dumbphone method and reducing social media use.

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Paris Marx is joined by Sam Biddle to discuss what it means for data centers to become targets in a war, and how Silicon Valley is aiding the US war against Iran.

Sam Biddle is a technology journalist 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.

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SAVEUS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/saveus

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Send your questions to mailbag [at] techwontsave [dot] us!
• Sam wrote about Iran’s attacks on data centers and its legality.
• Here is Sam’s most recent piece about Palantir and NYC public hospitals.
• The Intercept is also covering the role of social media in the US-Iranian war.

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Paris Marx is joined by Spencer Ackerman to discuss the US and Israeli war on Iran, including the history that led to this moment and what we might see from here.

Spencer Ackerman is the author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump and the forthcoming book The Torture and Deliverance of Majid Khan. He also write the Forever Wars 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• You can now watch episodes of Tech Won’t Save Us on YouTube!
• Spencer has written about the regime change in Iran, and the targeting of data centers in the conflict.
• Further reading on Iran’s ‘infrastructure war’.
• Here is the latest on discussions between the USA and Iran as of Monday March 23rd.

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Paris Marx is joined by Ed Niedermeyer to discuss the years-long relationship between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein, and how their relationship sheds light on the murky inner workings of the one percent.

Ed Niedermeyer is the author of 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 Kyla Hewson.

Go to surfshark.com/SAVEUS to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN, plus there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee or just punch in code SAVEUS at checkout!

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Ed has written two recent pieces about Elon Musk’s relationship with Epstein.
• Here’s more information on Juleanna Glover’s relationship with Epstein.

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Paris Marx is joined by Gita Jackson to discuss why the left’s hatred of AI is justified, why a different approach to technology is necessary, and how they’re reassessing their own relationships with digital tech.

Gita Jackson is a co-founder of Aftermath.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Gita wrote about why the left doesn’t hate technology.
• Gita also wrote about downloading digital music onto a Snowksy Fiio Echo Mini.
• Chris Person wrote about the Boox Palma eReader as an alternative to Kindle.
• Learn more about Mike Pondsmith and his Cyberpunk TTRPG.
• Gita will one day get Paris to watch Frieren.

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Paris Marx is joined by Tim Schwab to discuss the evolving story of Bill Gates and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the issues that arise from allowing billionaires to use philanthropy to push personal political agendas and launder their reputations.

Tim Schwab is 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 made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Tim wrote about why Bill Gates should be removed from the foundation over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
• Here is the interview Melinda French Gates did with NPR
• Here is the Wall Street Journal article covering Bill Gates apology to Gates Foundation staff for his relationship with Epstein

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Paris Marx is joined by Amanda Hanna-McLeer and Lucy Jackson to discuss the story of The Luddite Club, from its beginnings as a high school organization to its pivot into a non-profit and growth into an international movement.

Amanda Hanna-McLeer is a writer, educator, and director of The Luddite Club documentary. Lucy Jackson is an early member of the Luddite Club.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Go to surfshark.com/SAVEUS to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN, plus there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee or just punch in code SAVEUS at checkout!

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The original New York Times article featuring the club
• Amanda shouts out Brian Merchant’s book The One Device and Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing
• The film discussed was John Carpenter’s 1988 sci-fi horror film They Live

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Paris Marx is joined by James Vincent to discuss why we’re seeing humanoid robots everywhere, the motivations to pursue an all-purpose robot, how close we are to achieving that goal, and the social implications if we were to achieve it.

James Vincent is a UK-based journalist and author of Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan at https://incogni.com/saveus. Promo Code SAVEUS

Also mentioned in this episode:

• James wrote about what kicking robots can tell us about the state of modern robotics
• Rodney Brooks makes a case for the difficulty in teaching robots human dexterity
• Here is an in-depth look at what Agility Robotics has been working on
• Shout-out to the 2008 movie Sleep Dealer
• Japanese convenience stores are using robots run by offshore operators
• This is what a toilet cleaning robot looks like

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Paris Marx is joined by Thea Riofrancos to discuss the global struggle to move away from fossil fuels and the future of the green transition, including the limitations of existing supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and the tech industry's role in the growth of extractive industries.

Thea Riofrancos is the author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism. She is also Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College and Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Thea has written about Trump’s resource nationalism and the resources needed for a green transition.
• The Climate and Community Institute has done a lot of research on mining and transportation.
• Indonesia has been building out a ton of coal plants to power its nickel industry.

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Paris Marx is joined by AS Hamrah to discuss the proposed Netflix-Warner Bros Discovery merger and what it might mean for the state of decline already facing modern cinema.

AS Hamrah is a film critic at n+1 and the author of Algorithm of the Night and Last Week in End Times Cinema.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• AS Hamrah wrote the piece Time to Face Reality on reality television, and this piece on the state of modern cinema
• New York Magazine published a feature on the Ellisons and their vision for Hollywood after taking over Paramount
• Here’s the latest on the Netflix-Warner deal
• Here’s more information on the ruling on Paramount Consent Decrees

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Paris Marx is joined by Kat Tenbarge to discuss the explosion of abusive deepfakes on X, including how Elon Musk is profiting from the sexual exploitation of women and children while his followers use Grok to engage in gender-based violence.

Kat Tenbarge is an independent journalist who writes Spitfire 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 Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Kat has been thoroughly covering the Grok and XAI deepfake and sexual abuse story
• Paris wrote about why the Grok scandal shows we need more comprehensive tech regulation
• The deepfake documentary mentioned was called Another Body
• You can see the result of Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation lawsuit here
• Grok was blocked in Indonesia and Malaysia in response to its generation of explicit images

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Paris Marx is joined by Chris Person to discuss the state of hardware and manufacturing in the tech industry, ways to hack your stuff, options to undermine Microsoft’s software dominance, and how the AI boom is making consumer electronics more expensive.

Chris Person is a co-founder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• CES showcased some weird gadgets this month.
• Chris recently wrote about how AI is affecting tying your shoes.
• Chris also wrote about the new Steam Machine.
• Paris wrote about how to get off US tech.
• A peak inside Chinese dark factories.
• For those interested in learning more about Bazzite.
• Canva buys Affinity.
• Chris shouts out Gamers Nexus.
• For those who want to dive deeper on RAM pricing.

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Paris Marx marks the beginning of 2026 by discussing some of the big themes that will be moving the conversations he’ll be having this year, particularly digital sovereignty and rethinking the value of the tech we admit into our lives.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Paris wrote about the lessons of the US invasion of Venezuela and why we need to reassess our relationship to digital technology.
• Paris co-authored a white paper on reclaiming digital sovereignty.
• A digital detox is a great way to review your current relationship with tech.

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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. This episode originally aired in June 2025.

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.

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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. This episode previously aired in February 2025.

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 Kyla Hewson. Production for this episode was originally by Eric Wickham.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Shout-out to the book The People’s Platform by Astra Taylor
• 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 Edmonton Public Library was mentioned for spearheading some cool projects featuring local musicians - combat capitalism by supporting the cool projects operating out of your own local library!
• Hoopla works with local libraries to share music (and Libby partners with libraries to share audiobooks)

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Paris Marx is joined by Jathan Sadowski and Brian Merchant to reflect on the year in tech, discuss the worst people in Silicon Valley, and share what they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2026.

Jathan Sadowski is the author of The Mechanic and the Luddite, co-host of This Machine Kills, and a Senior Lecturer at Monash University. Brian Merchant is the author of Blood in the Machine and writes a newsletter of the same name.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Visit Francesca Bria’s useful Authoritarian Stack
• Trump signs an executive order to keep states from implementing their own AI legislation
• The Trump administration is gutting the Department of Education, climate science programs, and public health
• Disney and OpenAI have reached a billion dollar deal
• Bernie Sanders calls for a moratorium on AI data centre construction

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Paris Marx is joined by Cam Wilson to discuss the new social media age limit in Australia, including how successful the rollout has been so far and the missed opportunities of taking a more nuanced regulatory approach.

Cam Wilson is an associate editor at Crikey and writes The Sizzle newsletter. He’s a co-author of Conspiracy Nation: Exposing the Dangerous World of Australian Conspiracy Theories.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Cam wrote about his experience reporting on the social media age limit debate and the removal of the exemption framework.
• Paris wrote about his thoughts on social media age limits and the need for much more comprehensive regulations on social media.
• 64% of US teens are using chatbots daily.
• Submit questions to Paris for an upcoming mailbag episode at mailbag@techwontsave.us
• Patreon supporters can join the year-end livestream this Friday, Dec 19 at 6PM ET

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Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the Europe’s capitulation to pressure from the United States on Nexperia, as well as on digital protections and labor rights that could have big implications for the future of work.

Ben Wray is a researcher specializing in the platform economy. He writes the Gig Economy Project newsletter and his most recent report for the ETUC is called Uberisation.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Today’s sponsors are ExpressVPN and ⁠Aura Frames. Get four months free by visiting ExpressVPN.com/TWSU. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at ⁠https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS⁠. Promo Code PARIS

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Ben wrote about the brief attempt by the Dutch to nationalize Nexperia.
• In leaked documents from 2012-2017 Uber executives recognize their own illegal activity and refer to themselves as ‘pirates’.
• Spain recently ordered Meta to pay €479m fine for breaching EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

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Paris Marx is joined by Aline Blankertz to discuss how right-wing governments and international corporations in the European Union are pushing to gut tech regulations with the goal of boosting AI development in hope of improving economic growth and geopolitical standing.

Aline Blankertz is a cofounder of Structural Integrity.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Today’s sponsor is ⁠Aura Frames. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS. Promo Code PARIS

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Aline wrote about how the sovereignty discussion was progressing at a recent summit in Europe.
• Aline mentioned an upcoming conference tying together different activist movements that listeners may find interesting: Cables of Resistance.
• Learn more about the EU’s Digital Omnibus regulation proposal.
• The Draghi Report examines EU competitiveness.
• France and Germany are partnering up to utilize AI in public administration
• Shoutout to the book Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley.
• Here’s the latest in OpenAI’s ongoing litigation.
• Macron and Merz spoke out against authoritarianism, in particular calling out a lack of national control over social networks.
• Some governments are pushing back and disconnecting from US tech giants.

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Paris Marx is joined by Ketan Joshi to discuss how hyperscale data centers are fueling the consumption of more oil and gas, what that means for climate targets, and the insidious relationship between the tech and fossil fuel industries.

Ketan Joshi is a climate writer and data analyst based in Oslo working with climate and environmental groups.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS. Promo Code  PARIS

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Ketan has a page on his website sharing fascinating data sets.
• The International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook report was just released for this year.
• xAI was caught using enough illegal methane generators to power a city at a facility that powers Grok.
• Here is an in-depth look behind the scenes at the construction of the new data center from xAI, including the purchasing of a power plant just across the state line.
• Google's Chief of Investment loves Doug Burgum’s (Trump’s Secretary of the Interior) commitments to power AI growth with fossil fuels.
• Microsoft has been investing in nuclear energy.
• Learn more about the Enabled Emissions Campaign.
• Shout-out to the book Empire of AI by Karen Hao.

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Paris Marx is joined by Gil Duran to discuss how Peter Thiel’s bizarre obsession with the antichrist is really a desperate and embarrassing attempt to divert attention from his own misdeeds.

Gil Duran writes The Nerd Reich and is working on his first book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Global Democracy.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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.

Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS. Promo Code: PARIS

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Gil wrote about Peter Thiel’s Antichrist obsession and the apocalypse capitalism of Silicon Valley.
• This link is for Peter Thiel (or any Silicon Valley millionaires who may be listening); Gil recommends a brush-up on the French Revolution.
• Steve Bannon expects to go to prison.
• Donald Trump’s relationship to crypto continues to be awful.

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Paris Marx is joined by Nathan Grayson to discuss how Saudi Arabia is buying its way into the sports, comedy, and video game industries in order to broaden its investment portfolio and launder its international reputation.

Nathan Grayson is a cofounder of Aftermath and the author of Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Aftermath launched a refreshed website. Check it out!
• Nathan wrote about the problems with the Saudi-EA deal.
• GeoGuessr users made their maps unplayable in protest against the game’s announced participation in the Esports World Cup.
• Here’s a more comprehensive list of Saudi Arabia’s game investments.
• And here’s a history of Saudi Arabia’s investments in sports.

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Paris Marx is joined by Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear to discuss the many ways cars have negatively affected society, how tech companies seek to entrench those problems, and what can really be done to improve mobility in our communities.

Doug Gordon is a TV producer and writer. Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author. They are the co-hosts of The War on Cars and co-authors of Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Fighting Traffic by Peter D. Norton
• Livable Streets by Donald Appleyard
• Your Six-Year-Old by Louise Bates Ames
• Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam

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Paris Marx celebrates the 300th episode of Tech Won’t Save Us by sharing his reasons to push for digital sovereignty and get off US tech. On top of explaining how that dependence gives the US governments and its tech companies power over us, Paris also provides tips of alternative services to consider migrating to.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Here is the Disconnect post offering a comprehensive list of options for getting off US tech.
• Producer Kyla seconds the recommendation of the library as an alternative to streaming, audiobooks, big box bookstores, and for plenty of other benefits (including inviting us to be more active community members).
• Trump’s sanctions against chief ICC prosecutor Karim Kahn has delayed proceedings, and resulted in Microsoft cancelling his email service.
• Here’s more information about when JD Vance annoyed most of Europe by comparing their governments to authoritarian regimes.
• Learn more about Alexandre de Moraes and his efforts to regulate US tech in Brazil.

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Paris Marx is joined by Joanne McNeil to discuss the proliferation of delivery bots and robotaxis and how they recycle disproven claims about how technology will improve transportation.

Joanne McNeil is a freelance writer and the author of Wrong Way and Lurking: How a Person Became a User.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers 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:

• Joanne wrote about delivery bots and robotaxis for the New York Review of Architecture.
• She’s doing an event in Los Angeles discussing social media on November 1.
• Uber’s driverless car killed a pedestrian, and the company scapegoated the backup driver.
• Sleep Dealer is a sci-fi movie by Alex Rivera.
• A GM Cruise self-driving car hit a pedestrian and dragged them 20 feet before stopping.
• Even Chuck E. Cheese is getting into the ghost kitchen business.

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