“Intelligence is relatively new to life on Earth, but your hierarchical tendencies are ancient.” - Octavia Butler, Lilith’s Brood.

The dawn of generative AI may seem like a whole new age - but in reality, it is part of an ancient history. Today on the show, Sara El Youghun, Joannie Lee, Janey Li and Samantha Haran come together to map this new genAI tech within the longer history of capitalist-imperialist surveillance and exploitation.

Sara and Joannie discuss how they’re feeling in this moment as AI technologies are seemingly taking over. Sara reminds us of the science fiction of our childhoods that mirror the moment we are now living, and Joannie speaks to her recent experiences in community organising against the planned data centres in Western Sydney. Together, they reflect on strategies of organising, resistance and imagination. They listen through an interview that Janey and Samantha did with digital surveillance researcher and organiser, D.R. Sooriya. D reflects on and illuminates the fact amidst the outrage and uncertainty around what this new age of AI means, what we should most be focused on is the way it forms part of a longer, larger and deeper project on the part of tech billlionaries to force us into a certain kind of future. Most importantly, D reminds us that we are not helpless against this tirade - we can resist these techno-fascist futures, and build our own worlds in their place. 

Produced by Joannie Lee and Samantha Haran

Episode artwork by Janey Li

HOPECORE: ANTI-AI ORGANISING FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Luddite Club

No Tech for Apartheid

Data Workers Inquiry

Recent win - Boorloo/Perth data centre plan revoked

Get involved with Stop the Slop! Campaign to stop the data centres in Western Sydney (join the Whatsapp channel)

Upscrolled (social media platform built by Palestinian organisers)

FURTHER RESOURCES 

Hell is Empty and the Devils Are All Here: AI and Imperialism in the Current Crisis 

Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence - Kate Crawford 

AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference - Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor

War Virtually: The Quest to Automate Conflict, Militarize Data, and Predict the Future - Roberto Gonzales

Imagination: A Manifesto - Ruha Benjamin

Glitch feminism: A Manifesto - Legacy Russell