Google's business strategy relying on advertising leads to a lack of market incentives and disregard for security, resulting in a concentrated and vulnerable internet pyramid.
Data centralization in the current internet model makes personal data more vulnerable to breaches, emphasizing the need for a new, secure and decentralized architecture like blockchain.
Deep dives
Google's Business Strategy and its Flaws
The podcast episode discusses the business strategy of Google, which is centered around giving away most of their goods and services for free in exchange for data, which is then sold to advertisers. The speaker argues that this strategy is fundamentally flawed and unsustainable. By relying solely on advertising for income, Google lacks real customers who pay for their goods and services. This leads to a lack of market and price incentives, which in turn leads to a disregard for security. The result is a porous internet pyramid where data and power are concentrated in the hands of a few big companies, rather than the democratic and interconnected internet that was envisioned.
The Danger of Data Centralization
The podcast highlights the dangers of data centralization in the current internet model. The speaker argues that the more money is spent on security, the more personal data gets breached. This highlights the fundamental flaws in the security model of the internet and the need for a new architecture. Data centralization allows hackers to pinpoint where important data is stored, making it more vulnerable to breaches. The speaker emphasizes that security is not a patch or a team of anti-hackers, but rather an architecture that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. The blockchain is mentioned as one of the innovations that can contribute to creating a more secure and decentralized internet.
Google's Philosophy and the Flawed View of Humanity
The podcast explores the philosophical flaws in Google's worldview. The speaker refers to it as 'Google Marxism,' akin to Marx's misconception that industrial breakthroughs of the 19th century constituted a final human achievement, and that in the future, humans would no longer need to work and could focus on redistributing wealth. Similarly, Google believes that their technological breakthroughs, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, represent a final accomplishment for humanity. The speaker argues that this is an error, as new technologies have historically made human beings more productive and employable, rather than replacing them. The speaker asserts that computers and algorithms can never match human consciousness and creativity, and that the mind and brain are still not fully understood by science.
The Promise of the Cryptocosm and Blockchain
The podcast discusses the potential of the cryptocosm and blockchain technology to revolutionize the internet. The speaker explains that the cryptocosm, which includes blockchain and related technologies, offers a new architecture for the internet where users have unimpeachable identities and control over their own data. This decentralized approach inverts the current internet model, where users must prove their identity to every entity they interact with. The speaker argues that blockchain allows for verified facts and a foundation of truth on the internet, addressing the current lack of security and trust. Examples such as the Brave browser, which blocks advertising and offers micro-payments, and Abra's efforts to solve the last mile problem in remittances, are mentioned as practical applications of blockchain technology.
Today’s guest is George Gilder, a prolific author, economist, investor, and techno-futurist. In the 1970s Gilder wrote a controversial book about gender roles in society, originally titled Sexual Suicide, but later revised and reissued under the title Men and Marriage. In the 1980s, as an articulator and defender of Supply-Side Economics, he became known as...
