'You can't make billions without hurting people': Cory Doctorow on Elon Musk

6 hours ago

Cory Doctorow's new book introduces the concept of a 'reverse centaur,' where a human assists a machine, exemplified by workers constrained by algorithmic targets or supervising autonomous vehicles.
Doctorow argues that AI's perceived threat is exaggerated; it's essentially a 'conjuring trick' based on predicting words, not true consciousness, but its hype fuels massive investment bubbles nearing $1.4 trillion.
He critiques the motivation behind AI investment: bosses seek to eliminate worker co-determination, aiming for automation even when inefficient, driven by a desire to control labor and reduce human reliance.
The narrative of AI replacing jobs creates workforce insecurity, but Doctorow highlights 'criti-hype'—critique that amplifies doomsday scenarios—and compares it to past tech hype cycles like cryptocurrency and the metaverse.
Despite AI's visible improvements, Doctorow stresses that its financial basis is shaky, comparing it to investing in face cream based on patriarchal marketing rather than efficacy, and calls for targeting investor confidence to curb harm.

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