Self-Driving Cars and the Illusion of Automation

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They discuss the emergence of self-driving cars and their hesitation to try them. They explore the contradiction of tech companies relying on humans for tasks automation can do and critique academic writing on gig labor.

Paris Marx is joined by Joanne McNeil to discuss her new novel dealing with the human labor behind self-driving cars and the challenges of being a good tech critic.

Joanne McNeil is the author of Wrong Way and has written for Dissent Magazine, New York Magazine, and The Nation.

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 produced by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Joanne has written about the need for tech critics that aren’t insiders and tech media warming back up to Facebook.
Paris wrote about the recent scandal around GM’s Cruise division.
In 2014, Ursula Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and gave a speech that skewered capitalism.
Joanne’s fictional tech founder was in part inspired by Holacracy and Dan Price.
The fantasy of self-driving cars is highly reliant on remote drivers.

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