The Evolution of Eugenics

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I think that in a way, what they're really doing is just kind of getting everyone more comfortable with talking about this eugenics language. So whether or not the tech is there yet, it doesn't really matter because maybe one day CRISPR, for example, gene editing will be legalized. And by that point, I think that certain people would love for society to be at a point where we're comfortable talking about superior IQ and picking eye color.

Paris Marx is joined by Julia Black to discuss tech billionaires’ embrace of pronatalism and how it’s part of a broader rationalist project to remake society and protect their privileged positions.

Julia Black is a senior correspondent at Insider and previously worked at Esquire and Vox. Follow Julia on Twitter at @mjnblack.

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. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Julia wrote about pronatalism, Lex Fridman, and Sam Altman.
Paris wrote about eugenics in Silicon Valley.
Marc Andreessen wrote “It’s Time to Build” in April 2020.
Timnit Gebru gave a presentation on the TESCREAL bundle of ideologies. Émile Torres made a thread on Twitter about it.

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