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Items tagged with: TechWontSaveUs


Curtis Yarvin describes himself as a “dark elf” saving the know-nothing “hobbits” of the US public with an anti-democratic, pro-tech politics.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to Julia Black to understand how his popularity has grown and why tech billionaires are echoing his extreme ideas.

Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/244_the_dark_elf_leading_techs_extreme_right_w_julia_black

#tech #politics #fascism #uselection


Google has been declared a monopolist, but will the company finally be broken up or are we about to see the limits of antitrust once again?

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with Rob Larson about where Google’s monopoly fight goes from here and what we should remember about how Microsoft evaded being broken up in the early 2000s.

Full ep: https://techwontsave.us/episode/238_will_googles_monopoly_be_broken_up_w_rob_larson

#tech #google #antitrust #competition #monopoly #microsoft


In the face of massive layoffs, video game workers are unionizing in record numbers — with new wall-to-wall unions at Bethesda and Blizzard’s World of Warcraft team.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to Taylor Welling and Kathryn Friesen about their union campaigns and the state of the industry.

Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/236_unionizing_the_video_game_industry_w_taylor_welling__kathryn_friesen

#tech #gaming #videogames #union #microsoft #blizzard #bethesda #wow

We're just the beginning of the line of dominoes right? We are showing that it is possible to organize a game workers union, especially under Microsoft. I would love to see every game studio under ZeniMax, under Microsoft unionized. And then eventually the rest of the industry.


Israel’s genocide in Gaza depends on the infrastructure and services of tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner of No Tech for Apartheid about how tech workers are pushing back on the companies’ complicity and trying to end their relationships with Israel.

Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/235_no_tech_for_apartheid_w_mohammad_khatami__gabi_schubiner

#tech #israel #gaza #palestine #genocide #google #microsoft #amazon

Pre-October, all I ever knew was that Google really doesn't want you to talk about this, and they will silence you at any chance they get. Post-October, it was like not only will the company silence you, but if other workers are literally stalking you or accusing you of terrorism, the company will not do anything about that.


The crypto industry isn’t dead yet. In fact, it’s one of the biggest funders in this US election cycle.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to @molly0xfff to discuss what crypto boosters want from their nearly $200 million in campaign spending.

Listen to the full episode: https://techwontsave.us/episode/235_crypto_is_spending_millions_to_sway_the_us_election_w_molly_white

#tech #crypto #politics #bitcoin

"The story used to be that Bitcoin is a protection, from the fluctuations of the stock market, from inflation, that it's a store of value, much like gold. We're really seeing that fall apart as the stock market has been more volatile and crypto prices have been right along with it. Crypto is similar to other high risk asset classes."


Shopify says it’s a different kind of company, yet it enables right-wing extremists to profit from Nazi memorabilia and hateful merchandise, and its COO cofounded a far-right “news” site.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to @llebrun and @atRachelGilmore about the right-wing politics driving Shopify’s leaders.

https://techwontsave.us/episode/232_shopifys_right_wing_inner_circle_w_luke_lebrun__rachel_gilmore

#tech #podcast #shopify

"Shopify said that if you feel as though you cannot hold this tension, you can talk to your boss about whether you can continue to feel engaged at Shopify, which to me reads like a threat to your job. Either get, on board with us allowing really gross vendors to monetize through our services, or you can quit."


Over the past few years, Spotify spent big to try to take over podcasting. Now it’s shutting down shows, laying off workers, and disappearing well-known brands. What happened?

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to Eric Silver about Spotify’s big plan to enclose podcasts so it could get more data and diversify away from music. Needless to say, it didn’t work.

https://techwontsave.us/episode/204_how_spotify_tried_to_take_over_podcasting_w_eric_silver

#tech #podcast #spotify #audio #media

Eric Silver: "Spotify, tried to do a vertical monopoly. It reminds me of the movies in the 30s, where it's like, 'We own the actors. We own the director. We own the script. You're going to film it on our lot. Our editor is going to be overseen by a guy in a suit standing over his shoulder, making sure he's not communist, and then we're going to put it out in our theaters.' And that feels very similar to what Spotify did."


We’re over a year into this cycle of AI hype, but how does the real impact of the technology compare to what tech CEOs have spent all their time warning us about?

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to @timnitGebru about how they distracted us from the real problems with AI to shape regulation and serve themselves.

https://techwontsave.us/episode/203_ai_hype_distracted_us_from_real_problems_w_timnit_gebru

#ai #openai #samaltman #tech

Timnit Gebru: "They want us to think they're creating some magical being that can solve the world's problems if we just let them do their thing. They want to keep us [focused] on that discourse so we're not looking at the actual practices they're engaging in."


We often hear about the challenges facing San Francisco, but we don’t hear nearly enough about how tech billionaires wield their power to serve themselves even if it means making life for everyone else harder.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with SF District 5 Supervisor @deanpreston about the robotaxi chaos in the city and the many ways the tech industry tries to shape local politics for their ends.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/13544176-how-tech-wields-its-power-in-san-francisco-w-dean-preston

#tech #sf #politics


Venture capitalists are parasites that deploy harmful technologies in the name of profit and control. Now they’re fueling AI hype not to improve the world, but to make a quick buck.

On #TechWontSaveUs, Edward Ongweso Jr. outlines why we need to abolish venture capital if we have any hope of creating better technology and actually improving people’s lives.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/13377584-abolish-venture-capital-w-edward-ongweso-jr

#tech #ai #vc #finance


Israel has had Palestinians under occupation for decades, and that allows weapons companies to test and develop new technologies on them that can then be sold abroad.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to Antony Loewenstein about how that tech is developed, what it means for Palestinians, and how the Israeli government uses oppressive tech for diplomatic leverage.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/13212302-how-israel-uses-occupation-to-develop-military-tech-w-antony-loewenstein

#tech #israel #weapons #military


The influencer industry is huge today, but how did it take over social media and the cultural sector?

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to Emily Hund about the social and economic forces that created the industry and how it still depends on precarity all these years later. It’s a fascinating conversation that also considered where it goes next!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12994172-the-influencer-industry-is-built-on-precarity-w-emily-hund

#tech #socialmedia #culture


Since the hype around AI accelerated, a lot of people have been looking for meaning in the text generated by large language models and tools like ChatGPT. But that doesn’t mean they’re intelligent, and there’s a real danger in thinking they are.

On #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke with @emilymbender about how these technologies work, why they don’t reflect how humans use language, but why we want to believe they’re talking to us.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12640803-chatgpt-is-not-intelligent-w-emily-m-bender

#tech #ai #chatgpt #generativeai #llm #podcast


The Silicon Valley Bank collapse is part of a broader weakness in the tech industry, and shows us why venture capitalists aren’t the brilliant minds they want us to believe.

This week on #TechWontSaveUs, I chat with Jacob Silverman about what SVB reveals about the state of the industry and why the end of low interest rates could be a serious challenge.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12489566-everyone-hates-vcs-after-the-svb-collapse-w-jacob-silverman

#tech #svb #siliconvalleybank


There’s a lot of hype about AI and its potential, but are we asking the right questions about its potential consequences?

This week on #TechWontSaveUs, I speak to Dan McQuillan about how AI promotes ranking populations and austerity policies, and the risks that come with its emergence coinciding with the growth of far-right policies.

Listen to the full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12380621-why-we-must-resist-ai-w-dan-mcquillan

#ai #tech #politics #chatgpt


After Tesla’s share price plummeted last year, it won’t be any surprise to hear the company’s in trouble, but from growing EV competition to increased scrutiny on Autopilot, that’s only the beginning.

This week on #TechWontSaveUs, @niedermeyer joins me for a deep dive into Tesla, the challenges the company is facing, and why it’s so hard to get away from Elon Musk.

Listen to the full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12208956-the-tesla-crash-is-only-beginning-w-edward-niedermeyer

#tech #tesla #elonmusk #ev


Streaming upended the business model of Hollywood, but it’s also had a major impact on workers in the industry.

This week on #TechWontSaveUs, I speak to @anousha about upcoming contract negotiations and why the Writers Guild could go on strike for the first time since 2007.

Listen to the full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12160126-why-hollywood-writers-may-strike-over-streaming-w-anousha-sakoui

#tech #streaming #film #tv


The hype around AI tools like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion is in overdrive right now, but what is its actual impact likely to be?

This week on #TechWontSaveUs, I chat with @timnitGebru about the misleading framing of AI, why she started doing this research, and how she ended up getting fired by Google. It’s a must listen!

Tune in here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/12073262-don-t-fall-for-the-ai-hype-w-timnit-gebru

#ai #tech #podcast #chatgpt


Who gets to shape the future?

Sometimes people ask why we should bother thinking about the future when there are so many pressing issues in the present. But as @roseveleth explains in this week’s episode of #TechWontSaveUs, tech billionaires want us to buy into their ideas for the future, and we need to push back with better alternatives!

Listen to our conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/11975314-why-tech-billionaires-want-to-shape-our-future-w-rose-eveleth

#tech #future #podcast


As the tech industry moves from boom to bust, an increasingly reactionary set of tech CEOs are waging a campaign against workers to reset expectations of labor in the sector.

On this week’s #TechWontSaveUs, Wendy Liu returns to discuss this shift and how executives are emboldened by Elon Musk’s actions since taking over Twitter.

Listen to the full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/11871797-tech-billionaires-are-coming-for-workers-w-wendy-liu

#tech #podcast #elonmusk


📅 MARK YOUR CALENDARS 🥳

On December 18, I’ll be breaking down the year in tech in a livestream with @bcmerchant, @hypervisible, and @xoxogossipgita — exclusively for #TechWontSaveUs supporters!

We’ll be discussing the wildest stories of the year, the worst tech CEOs, what we’re looking to in 2023, and much more!

Want to join us? Sign up to support the show: https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus

#podcast #tech #livestream
The Year in Tech with Paris Marx, Brian Merchant, Chris Gilliard, and Gita Jackson. On December 18 at 1pm ET, 4pm PT, 9pm GMT. Livestream for supporters. Sign up on Patreon.


From the early days of the internet to the dot-com boom to the period after the 2008 recession, we’re constantly distracted by utopian visions for what digital technology might deliver instead of critical assessing them.

On this week’s #TechWontSaveUs, I spoke to @Rushkoff about why it’s time for us to wake up and challenge the power and self-serving narratives of the tech billionaires — before it’s too late.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/11828681-trusting-tech-billionaires-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-w-douglas-rushkoff

#tech #siliconvalley #podcast #politics


Holy moly! @parismarx talking to @davidzipper on this week's #TechWontSaveUs is sure to be an excellent conversation. Two of my favorite #transportation folks talking about what needs to change in road transportation!

https://techwontsave.us/episode/144_tech_isnt_fixing_the_crisis_on_our_streets_w_david_zipper


We know advertising is central to the business model of companies like Google and Facebook, but we often understate how integral it is to the larger economy — in tech and beyond.

In a new #techwontsaveus, I spoke to @danjokaz00ie to explore how companies create audiences to sell to advertisers — and why that’s important to understand.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/11747335-why-advertising-shapes-the-tech-economy-w-daniel-joseph

#advertising #tech #techindustry #podcast


There’s another big superhero movie in cinemas, but after visual effects workers recently spoke out about their working conditions, I wanted to learn more about the history of visual effects and how it got this way.

In a new #techwontsaveus, I spoke to “Empire of Effects” author Julie Turnock to get the details on the influence of Star Wars and Industrial Light & Magic in the early days, and Marvel today.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/11705523-why-visual-effects-look-the-way-they-do-w-julie-turnock

#filmindustry #movies #visualeffects #podcast