Dreaming Against the Machine

This week, Adam talks with linguist and AI critic Emily M. Bender. They talk about large language models, Emily's origin story, and the importance of parrot emojis. Read Emily's book The AI Con and listen to her podcast Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000.Messages:  • Support the show at patreon.com/DreamingAgainstTheMachine  • Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram  • Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts!  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like American MedievalAbout the show:Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Adam and returning guest Dave Karpf talk about what it's like to gaze into the abyss of politics and tech as part of their jobs, and how to find balance and maintain their sanity while doing that work. Dave also talks about his work with the Sierra Club, and reveals his obsession with sandwiches. Read Dave's newsletter and preorder his new book now.Messages:  • Support the show at patreon.com/DreamingAgainstTheMachine  • Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram  • Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts!  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like SpiritsAbout the show:Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, is told through the voices of activists who camped out in Zuccotti Park for almost two months, getting inside the drama of a movement that grew rapidly, felt both transcendent and chaotic, and then violently flamed out. Occupy changed the national conversation about capitalism, popularized the language of the 99%, and inspired a generation of activists. As we approach Occupy’s 15th anniversary this September, this series offers a reminder that collective action can reshape what seems possible.Binge the entire series at http://swap.fm/l/Occupy!Messages:  • Support the show at patreon.com/DreamingAgainstTheMachine  • Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram  • Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts!  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like Pale Blue PodAbout the show:Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Adam talks with Matt Scherer about the AI bubble: what it is, why it's a bubble, what might happen when it pops, and what we can all do to prevent a bailout when it does pop. They also talk about Star Trek, because of course they do.Matt's report is here: https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications/no-bailouts-for-big-tech-billionaires-policies-for-when-the-ai-bubble-burstsMessages:  • Support the show at patreon.com/DreamingAgainstTheMachine  • Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram  • Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts!  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like Pale Blue PodAbout the show:Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week is a little bit different. Adam talks with Alli Finn and Matt Rodriguez about a very specific kind of better future: one with way fewer AI data centers. Alli and Matt explain why we should fight AI data center construction, how to fight it, and what you can do if there's already one in your city.Messages:  • Support the show at patreon.com/DreamingAgainstTheMachine  • Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram  • Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts!  • Check out other great podcasts from Multitude like Wow if TrueAbout the show:Dreaming Against the Machine is a podcast about envisioning a realistic and hopeful future. Each week, the show’s host, journalist and astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker, will have an earnest (and entertaining!) conversation with a guest about possible futures, seen through the lenses of history, science, and culture. In a world where tech oligarchs and their power fantasies are driving visions of the future, Dreaming Against the Machine aims to take back the terms of the public conversation about what our world can and should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.