Paris Marx is joined by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai to discuss the arrest of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan for trying to launder the $5 billion in Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack, how they were moving the money, how the authorities found them, and what lessons the case might hold. Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai is senior staff writer at Motherboard. Follow Lorenzo on Twitter at @lorenzofb . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider societ...
Feb 17, 2022•46 min•Ep. 102
Paris Marx is joined by Phil Jones to discuss the hidden microworkers behind supposedly AI-powered automation from major tech companies, how it differs in the Global North and South, and what it means for how we think about the future. Phil Jones is the author of Work Without the Worker: Labour in the Age of Platform Capitalism and a researcher at Autonomy. Follow Phil on Twitter at @philjones7771 . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with t...
Feb 10, 2022•49 min•Ep. 101
As the podcast celebrates episode 100, Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the huge drop in crypto prices, the coming threat (to crypto) of interest rate hikes and regulation, the human impact of crypto schemes, and where things may be going next. Jacob Silverman is a staff writer at The New Republic and writes about crypto with the actor Ben McKenzie. Follow Jacob on Twitter at @SilvermanJacob . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider so...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 100
Paris Marx is joined by Rob Zacny to discuss the potential consequences of Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and what subscriptions and consolidation might mean for the future of games and the industry. Rob Zacny is a senior editor at Waypoint and co-host of Waypoint Radio. Follow Rob on Twitter at @RobZacny . 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 p...
Jan 27, 2022•55 min•Ep. 99
Paris Marx is joined by Corrina Laughlin to discuss how evangelical Christians have adapted to modern technologies, how churches have emulated startups, the growth of the faith tech sector, and whether there’s anything that can be learned from their tech experiments. Corrina Laughlin is the author of Redeem All: How Digital Life Is Changing Evangelical Culture . She’s also an instructor of media studies at Loyola Marymount University. Follow Corrina on Twitter at @CKLaughlin . Tech Won’t Save Us...
Jan 20, 2022•49 min•Ep. 98
Paris Marx is joined by James Muldoon to discuss his vision for platform socialism and the different ways we could reorganize platforms to serve the public good over corporate profit. James Muldoon is the author of Platform Socialism: How to Reclaim our Digital Future from Big Tech . He’s also a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and the Head of Digital Research at Autonomy. Follow James on Twitter at @james_muldoon_ . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldv...
Jan 13, 2022•54 min•Ep. 97
Paris Marx is joined by Quintin Smith to discuss how Roblox profits from the labor of children, built an exploitative in-game economy, and needs to be regulated as soon as possible. Quintin Smith is a journalist working with People Make Games and Shut Up & Sit Down. Follow Quintin on Twitter at @Quinns108 . 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 (...
Jan 06, 2022•46 min•Ep. 96
To end 2021, Paris Marx provides a quick update on the podcast and what’s coming next year. 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 . Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com . Also mentioned in this episode: Paris’ book Ro...
Dec 30, 2021•12 min
Paris Marx is joined by Annalee Newitz to discuss what’s wrong with Silicon Valley’s understanding of science fiction, and how tech leaders use it to justify terrible futures. Annalee Newitz is the author of Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age and The Future of Another Timeline . They are also the co-host of Our Opinions Are Correct and a writer for NYT Opinion and New Scientist. Follow Annalee on Twitter at @Annaleen . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a ...
Dec 23, 2021•57 min•Ep. 95
Paris Marx is joined by Gita Jackson to discuss the revelations of sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard, how workers have organized in response to them, and what it all could mean for the future of the video games industry. Gita Jackson is a senior writer at Motherboard, Vice’s tech vertical. Follow Gita on Twitter at @xoxogossipgita . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of...
Dec 16, 2021•56 min•Ep. 94
Paris Marx is joined by Stephen Diehl to discuss why technologists are divided on crypto, what’s wrong with blockchain, why crypto assets are scams, and why web3 is a rebranding effort. Stephen Diehl is software engineer and crypto skeptic based in London. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @smdiehl . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! 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. Foll...
Dec 09, 2021•59 min•Ep. 93
Paris Marx is joined by Fred Scharmen to discuss Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space colonization, the inspiration they draw from the work of Wernher von Braun and Gerard O’Neill, and what’s wrong with basing our future on those ideas. Fred Scharmen is the author of Space Forces: A Critical History of Life in Outer Space . He teaches architecture and urban design at Morgan State University’s School of Architecture and Planning and is the co-founder of the Working Group on Adaptive System...
Dec 02, 2021•54 min•Ep. 92
Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss the ethics of tech media recommending surveillance devices, aspects of “smart” technologies you might not have considered, and why we should think twice about surrounding ourselves with cameras and microphones. Chris Gilliard is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center. Follow Chris on Twitter at @hypervisible . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldvi...
Nov 25, 2021•57 min•Ep. 91
Paris Marx is joined by Sabrina Fernandes to discuss what came out of COP26, what it actually means to have net-zero emissions by 2050, and all the mechanisms that countries are developing to delay necessary action to reduce emissions. Sabrina Fernandes is an IRGAC postdoctoral fellow at Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. She’s the producer of Tese Onze and a contributing editor at Jacobin. Follow Sabrina on Twitter at @safbf . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspecti...
Nov 18, 2021•58 min•Ep. 90
Paris Marx is joined by Mark McGurl to discuss how Amazon is reshaping the publishing industry and altering the form of the novel itself. Mark McGurl is a Professor of Literature at Stanford University. He’s also the author of The Program Era: Postwar Fiction and the Rise of Creative Writing and Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon . Follow Mark on Twitter at @markjamesmcgurl . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview,...
Nov 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 89
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s big plans for the metaverse, everything that’s wrong with it, the concept’s scifi origins, and why Silicon Valley is desperate to make it happen. Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine , coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider societ...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 88
Paris Marx is joined by Grafton Tanner to discuss how social and environmental crises fuel nostalgia, how companies profit from it, and whether it can be reoriented to inspire a better future. Grafton Tanner is the author of “ The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia ” from Repeater Books. Follow Grafton on Twitter at @GraftonTanner . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspi...
Oct 28, 2021•55 min•Ep. 87
Paris Marx is joined by Noopur Raval to discuss India’s gig economy, the specific conditions of women who provide services through beauty and wellness apps, and how workers organize to improve their conditions. Noopur Raval is a postdoctoral research fellow at the AI Now Institute at New York University. Follow Noopur on Twitter at @tetisheri . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring peo...
Oct 21, 2021•54 min•Ep. 86
Paris Marx is joined by Yaseen Aslam to discuss the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber drivers are not self-employed, the long fight to reach that point, and the next steps in the push for gig workers’ rights in the UK. Yaseen Aslam is the president of the App Drivers and Couriers Union and a lead claimant in the Aslam v Uber case. Follow Yaseen on Twitter at @Yaseenaslam381 and the ADCU at @ADCUnion . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its w...
Oct 19, 2021•42 min•Ep. 85
Paris Marx is joined by Jennifer Scott and Brice Sopher to discuss the campaign to unionize Foodora and the fight for gig workers’ rights in Canada. Jennifer Scott is a gig worker and president of Gig Workers United. Brice Sopher is also a gig worker and vice president of Gig Workers United. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @PalimpsestJenn , Brice at @this_is_walmer , and Gig Workers United at @GigWorkersUnite . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tec...
Oct 14, 2021•53 min•Ep. 84
Paris Marx is joined by Rafael Grohmann to discuss the state of app-based work in Brazil, organizing by food delivery workers to demand better conditions, and even a recent strike by click farm workers. Rafael Grohmann is a professor at UNISINOS, coordinator at DigiLabour Research Lab, and principal investigator in Brazil of Fairwork Project . Follow Rafael on Twitter at @grohmann_rafael . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, an...
Oct 12, 2021•47 min•Ep. 83
Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the state of the gig economy in Europe, including the Spanish riders law, recent court ruling on employment status in the Netherlands, strikes in Germany and Greece, and the forthcoming platform workers directive from the European Commission. Ben Wray is a coordinator at the Gig Economy Project and a freelance journalist. Follow Ben on Twitter at @Ben_Wray1989 . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, i...
Oct 07, 2021•47 min•Ep. 82
Paris Marx is joined by Tyler Riordan to discuss the state of the gig economy in Australia, the ongoing efforts to improve their conditions, and Tyler’s research on migrant food couriers in Brisbane. Tyler Riordan is a PhD candidate in hospitality and anthropology at the University of Queensland. Follow Tyler on Twitter at @tyler_riordan . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people t...
Oct 05, 2021•43 min•Ep. 81
Paris Marx is joined by Veena Dubal to discuss how Proposition 22 and the contract status of gig workers is reminiscent of the United States’ history of racial wage codes, which codified lower wages for Black workers. Veena Dubal is a Professor of Law at UC Hastings. Follow Veena on Twitter at @veenadubal . Go back to episode 10 (May 21, 2020) for Veena’s first appearance on the podcast. 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and ...
Sep 30, 2021•46 min•Ep. 80
Paris Marx is joined by Sara Mojtehedzadeh to discuss the Teamsters’ organizing at Amazon warehouses in Canada and the working conditions that workers face at those facilities. Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a labour reporter at the Toronto Star and the host of Hustled , a podcast about Foodora workers’ fight for a union. Follow Sara on Twitter at @SaraMojtehedz . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of in...
Sep 23, 2021•51 min•Ep. 79
Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the development of the iPhone, how Apple manages the press, and how the parts of the company’s supply chain that get too little attention. Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine , coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspir...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 78
Paris Marx is joined by André Brock to discuss the history of Black people’s online activity, the internet’s association with whiteness, and what Black Twitter can tell us about the centrality of Black people to digital culture. André Brock is an associate professor of media studies at Georgia Tech. He writes on Western technoculture, Black technoculture, and digital media. His award-winning book, Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures , theorizes Black everyday lives mediated by ...
Sep 09, 2021•49 min•Ep. 77
Paris Marx is joined by Michael Kwet to discuss how digital technologies are used to entrench the power of the United States and its dominant corporations at the expense of the Global South. Michael Kwet is a Visiting Fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. He got his PhD in Sociology at Rhodes University in South Africa. Follow Michael on Twitter at @Michael_Kwet . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and ...
Sep 02, 2021•51 min•Ep. 76
Paris Marx is joined by Olivier Jutel to discuss blockchain’s pivot to humanitarianism, the questionable people behind the technology, and how their projects in the Pacific have benefited capitalist and imperial power. Olivier Jutel is a lecturer at the University of Otago. Follow Olivier on Twitter at @OJutel . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! 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 b...
Aug 26, 2021•59 min•Ep. 75
Paris Marx is joined by Dan Greene to discuss how the Clinton administration reframed poverty through the lens of the internet and how that transformed the missions of key institutions like libraries and schools. Dan Greene is an assistant professor at University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. He is the author of “ The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope .” Follow Dan on Twitter at @Green_DM . 🚨 T-shirts are now available ! Tech Won’t Save...
Aug 19, 2021•57 min•Ep. 74
