How to Think About AI Before It’s Too Late
The article discusses the case against AI hype with Cory Doctorow, who argues that the most important thing about a gadget isn't what it does, but who it does it for and what it does to. Doctorow expands on his viral enshittification thesis, a critique of AI based around power and whether we are using AI tools or being used by them. The conversation explores the power dynamics surrounding AI and the need to think about its implications before it's too late.
- ▪Cory Doctorow has written a book called The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI, which builds on his past work critiquing the power dynamics of technology.
- ▪Doctorow's enshittification thesis argues that companies and platforms start out with a promise of empowerment, but then degrade their services and extract more from their users.
- ▪The AI conversation is intensely polarized, with some critics unable to engage with the usefulness of the technology, while others, like Doctorow, focus on the power dynamics surrounding it.
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PodcastsHow to Think About AI Before It’s Too LateThe case against AI hype with Cory DoctorowBy Charlie WarzelIllustration by Renee Klahr / The AtlanticJune 19, 2026, 1 PM ET ShareSave Listen−1.0x+Seek0:0045:32Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Cory Doctorow has a refrain: “The most important thing about a gadget isn’t what it does; it’s who it does it for and what it does it to.” In this episode of Galaxy Brain, he sits down with Charlie Warzel to talk about the AI boom, making the case that the hype, vision, and dreams of endless growth are unsustainable.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
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