We’re being told that automation can free us. Machines will do the drudge work, and we will reclaim our time. But that’s not how things are going. Instead, artificial intelligence has concentrated power in the hands of the companies that own the infrastructure and outrun nation-states’ ability to regulate it.

In this episode of Futurology, author and scholar Nick Srnicek revisits the provocative idea he helped popularize after the 2008 financial crisis: that the left should fight for technology to reduce work and expand freedom, rather than simply resisting it. Srnicek describes his new book, Silicon Empires, which traces the shift from ephemeral platforms to hard infrastructure in Silicon Valley.

Subscribe to the Berggruen Institute on YouTube to be the first to listen to new Futurology episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/@Berggrueninst

Catch up on the Futurology conversation with full episodes on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyYCSKWs8iYgjg-mhu-EuhTrG0-adrb0c 

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/futurology/id1821718921

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2I38HvHP6KlXrD5ysfygxk?si=XB2qyyGjT2ONMTd5XUKJAg&nd=1&dlsi=ac8cda6751834298

Mentioned in this Episode:

#ACCELERATE: Manifesto for an Accelerationist Politics — Alex Williams and Nick Srnicek (Manifesto/Essay, 2013) 

Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work — Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams (Book, 2015) 

T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism — Hakim Bey (Book, 1991) 

After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time — Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek (Book, 2023) 

Platform Capitalism — Nick Srnicek (Book, 2016) 

Silicon Empires: The Fight for the Future of AI — Nick Srnicek (Book, 2026) 

This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom — Martin Hägglund (Book, 2019)

Where to find Nick Srnicek: 

X: @nsrnicek

BlueSky: @nsrnicek.bsky.social 

University Profile: Dr. Nick Srnicek | King's College London 

Substack (Silicon Empires): siliconempires.substack.com

Show ideas and feedback? Email:

[email protected]

Learn more about the Berggruen Institute 

https://www.berggruen.org

Follow Futurology!

Instagram:   / futurologypod

Twitter/X:   / futurologypod

Tiktok:   / futurologypod

Facebook:   / berggrueninst  

LinkedIn:   / berggrueninst  

Bluesky:   / futurologypod

Credits 

Executive Producers: Nicolas Berggruen, Nathan Gardels, Nils Gilman, Dawn Nakagawa, & Jason Hoch

Producers: Grant Slater, Alex Gardels, & Nathalia Ramos

Associate Producer: Elissa Mardiney

Theme Music: Marcus Bagala

Audio Engineer: Aaron Bastinelli & Kyle Scott Wilson

Futurology is a production of Studio B and Wavland for the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles, California.