The internet loves a good neologism, especially one that captures an intended change in mood or describes a new trend. In 2013, columnist Adrian Wooldridge coined a word that finally did both. He wrote an article for The Economist magazine, warning of a coming “tech rush.” This is a revolt against the rich and powerful in Silicon Valley, fueled by a growing public awareness that these “sovereign masters of cyberspace” are not the benevolent and bright future-makers they claimed to be. is.
Wooldridge did not say exactly when this technology clash would occur, but it is clear today that a dramatic shift in public opinion toward Big Tech and its leaders has indeed occurred, and is probably still occurring.
Two new books are a great reminder of why it started in the first place. Together, they document the rise of an industry that uses unprecedented wealth and power to undermine democracy, and outline what we can do to take back some of that power. Please read the full text.
—Brian Gardiner
This article is from the upcoming MIT Technology Review magazine edition, which will be published on January 6th. This article is all about exciting breakthroughs happening in the world right now. If you haven’t already, subscribe to receive your copy.
Must-read content
We scoured the internet to find the most entertaining/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 Google announces new headset and smart glasses OS
Android XR gives the wearer hands-free control thanks to the company’s Gemini chatbot. (The Verge)
+ Also revealed is a new Samsung headset called Project Moohan. (WP$)
+ Google wants to learn from the mistakes it made with Google Glass a decade ago. (wired$)
+ Its new Project Astra could be the killer app for generative AI. (MIT Technology Review)