Bankless 197 - Software Eating the State with Sammuel Hammond
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Nov 20, 2023 In this enlightening discussion, Sam Hammond, an economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, dives into how technologies like crypto and AI are revolutionizing societal structures and challenging traditional governance. He predicts that as software evolves, it may reshape the nation-state, fostering both freedoms and tensions. The conversation touches on the regulatory hurdles faced by governments and the ethical implications of emerging technologies, emphasizing the urgent need for adaptive governance in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
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Technology vs. the State
- Liberal democracies and nation-states are products of specific technological equilibriums.
- New technologies challenge this equilibrium, causing those in power to resist.
Printing Press & US Founding
- The printing press, like the internet, disrupted existing power structures (e.g., the Church's control over information).
- The US, founded post-printing press, enshrined freedoms like speech, reflecting this disruption.
Tech's Double-Edged Sword
- Technology, especially impacting the human condition, is a double-edged sword.
- The internet, meant to spread freedom, also enabled digital surveillance states like China.