Jill Lepore: Silicon Valley Misreads Sci-Fi, Undermining Democracy

In her upcoming book, “The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State,” historian Jill Lepore issues a stark warning: technology companies are progressively usurping the roles traditionally held by democratic governments. This evolving trend, she contends, signifies “a return to tyranny and mystification in the form of rule by algorithms, corporations, machines.”

During a recent appearance on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, this author engaged with Lepore—a distinguished Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer, and a Pulitzer Prize winner for her work on the U.S. Constitution—to discuss the emergence of what she terms “the idea that we should live under an artificial state or government by machines.”

“I’m not anti-technologist,” Lepore clarified. She elaborated that her central concern lies with “the ways in which private corporations have increasingly taken on the functions of the state.”

Although Lepore's book delves into technocratic philosophies with roots stretching back centuries, she contended that numerous “charismatic or not-so-charismatic leaders” in Silicon Valley—notably Elon Musk—appear to be pioneering a future vision derived from a misinterpretation of pulp science fiction and comic book narratives.

She pointed out an irony regarding Musk, stating, “But what’s funny about Musk is, the stuff he likes actually completely defeats and defies all of his political beliefs.”

Below are key excerpts from our discussion, edited for conciseness and clarity.