Jill Lepore on the ‘Artificial State’ and why Silicon Valley’s leaders are bad sci-fi readers
Historian Jill Lepore argues that tech companies are taking on the functions of democratic government, mistaking technological advancement for political progress.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Tech companies are gradually taking on the functions of democratic government, according to historian Jill Lepore, who argues that they often mistake technological advancement for political progress.
Imagine a world where tech companies are like governments, but instead of making laws, they make apps and websites. Historian Jill Lepore thinks this is happening, and it's not a good thing. She says that tech leaders are selling a fantasy that AI will make government more efficient, but it's actually just a way to control people.
Analysis
The Artificial State: A Theory of Tech Companies as Governments in Disguise
Historian Jill Lepore has a theory about why tech companies often use soaring language to describe their products. In her upcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, Lepore argues that tech companies are gradually taking on the functions of democratic government. Whether it's Twitter giving a distorted picture of the electorate or Facebook displacing local news, these leaders often mistake technological advancement for political progress.
Lepore sees a straight line from the classic 1984 Macintosh ad to Anthropic's AI constitution and Sam Altman's comments about an 'AI president.' She believes that these leaders are selling an old fantasy in new packaging, one that promises a future where AI makes government more efficient, more responsive, and maybe even unnecessary.
The Blueprint for the Artificial State: E.M. Forster's 'The Machine Stops'
Lepore argues that E.M. Forster's 1909 sci-fi story 'The Machine Stops' provides a blueprint for the artificial state. In the story, humans live underground and are entirely dependent on machines for their survival. Forster's vision of a future where humans are disconnected from the world above and are controlled by machines reads like 'the diary of a very unhappy YouTuber' in today's context.
The Unsustainability of the Artificial State
Lepore believes that the artificial state is ultimately unsustainable. She argues that it would take a significant shift in the way we think about technology and its role in society to rein in the artificial state. Lepore's theory is a warning about the dangers of unchecked technological advancement and the importance of considering the social and political implications of our actions.
Key points
- Tech companies are taking on the functions of democratic government, according to historian Jill Lepore.
- Lepore argues that tech leaders often mistake technological advancement for political progress.
- The artificial state is ultimately unsustainable, and it would take a significant shift in the way we think about technology to rein it in.
If Lepore's theory is correct, it could lead to a more nuanced understanding of the role of technology in society and a greater emphasis on considering the social and political implications of our actions.
The artificial state could lead to a loss of democratic values and a further erosion of trust in institutions, as people become increasingly dependent on tech companies for information and services.
