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Jill Lepore warns tech leaders are misreading science fiction and eroding democracy
In a new book and podcast interview, the Harvard historian argues that Silicon Valley's embrace of 'government by machines' threatens democratic institutions.
Lepore, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and New Yorker staff writer, discussed her upcoming book "The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State" on the TechCrunch Equity podcast. She said private corporations have increasingly taken on the functions of the state, a development she described as "a return to tyranny and mystification in the form of rule by algorithms, corporations, machines."
Lepore said she is not anti-technologist, but her concern is the way companies are replacing government roles. She traced technocratic philosophies back centuries, arguing that many Silicon Valley leaders, especially Elon Musk, are pulling from misread pulp science fiction and comic books.
She noted the contradiction in Musk's interests, saying "the stuff he likes actually completely defeats and defies all of his political beliefs."
The conversation also touched on Apple's famous "1984" Macintosh ad, why the idea of Twitter as a digital town hall is "bananas," and the current backlash against data centers.