Machines Like Us How Silicon Valley Monopolized Our Imagination
Dec 3, 2024
Ruha Benjamin, transdisciplinary scholar who studies the social impacts of science and tech, argues our collective imagination has been captured by Silicon Valley elites. She explores who gets to define progress and the costs of tech hype. Conversations range from alternative forms of intelligence and community VR projects to policy, grassroots imagination, and rebuilding futures centered on solidarity.
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Who Controls Our Future Vision
- A handful of tech billionaires have monopolized our collective imagination about the future.
- Their visions shape investment, policy, and public desire in ways that exclude many voices.
Moon Landing vs. Harlem Festival
- At the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival people prioritized immediate needs over the moon landing spectacle.
- Interviewees said funds for the moon could have fed poor Black communities instead.
Speed Isn’t The Same As Progress
- Innovation's speed doesn't equal social progress when communities bear its costs.
- Progress must include social implications, not only technological advances.
