Cory Doctorow has a refrain: 'The most important thing about a gadget isn't what it does; it's who it does it for and what it does it to.' In this episode of Galaxy Brain, he sits down with Charlie Warzel to talk about the AI boom, making the case that the hype, vision, and dreams of endless growth are unsustainable. Doctorow expands on his viral 'enshittification' thesis: a critique of AI based around power and whether we are using AI tools or being used by them. Cory Doctorow: Bosses are infinitely horny for firing workers and replacing them with machines. And they have been since forever, right' That's the story of the Industrial Revolution. They just'there's something about this, and it's not just cutting costs. I think that if you're the boss, you are haunted by the knowledge that if you don't show up for work, the business just ticks over as per normal. But if all the workers don't show up, that's 'You're out of business.' And so maybe you tell yourself you're driving the car,...
learn more
