Dave Karpf

Brooke Harrington, an economic sociologist known for her work on wealth and offshore finance, teams up with Dave Karpf, a tech policy expert at George Washington University. They delve into the rise of 'network states,' where tech billionaires seek to replace democratic governance with their own power structures. Their conversation highlights the threats posed by AI-driven governance and the concentration of wealth among elites. They also emphasize the importance of citizen activism and storytelling as resistance against encroaching tech authoritarianism.

Paris Marx is joined by Dave Karpf to discuss Meta’s misguided attempt to turn Facebook into a metaverse company, how Wired Magazine has evolved, and why the tech billionaires are destroying the world.Dave Karpf is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University. He’s also the author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy and Analytic Activism: Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy. Follow Dave on Twitter at @davekarpf.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:Dave wrote about the history of WIRED Magazine’s future predictions and why VR never dies.People Make Games made a video looking at what’s going on in VRChat.Meta’s legs demo wasn’t real.Douglas Rushkoff’s new book Survival of the Richest looks at how the rich are trying to protect themselves from the crises they’re making worse.Science fiction books mentioned: Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, and William Gibson’s The Peripheral.Support the show

In a captivating discussion, Dave Karpf, an academic and author focusing on technology and political advocacy, shares his insights on various topics. He reflects on environmentalism and the evolution of advocacy since the 90s. The conversation dives into the dual nature of technology, from personal joy to societal challenges. Karpf humorously contrasts techno-optimism with the reality of AGI limits and critiques profit-driven tech. He also discusses the fragmentation of the internet and the implications of capitalism on journalism and advocacy.