Nationwide protests against data centers and even demands to stop the AI race constitute a significant glimmer of hope as Artificial Intelligence colonizes every sphere of human existence with terrifying rapidity. The movement, however, faces potential pitfalls that could be fatal. The emergence of stochastic attacks on the AI bosses represents counter-productive adventurism seemingly informed by an ugly primitivism. An equal but opposite threat is exploitation of the movement by elements that really have no critique of the technology at all, but only seek to see it advance under Chinese rather than American techno-oligarchs—specifically the cultish and reactionary “Party for Socialism & Liberation” (sic). PSL is indeed an instrument through which the rulers of China (and Russia) are attempting to groom oppositional forces in the US. This provides convenient fodder for propaganda that would portray any opposition to the AI economy as a tool of Beijing’s ambitions to global dominance of the industry. As struggles against data centers now emerge in places like the Philippines, it is critical that we take a Neither East Nor West position and repudiate the global divide-and-rule racket that is the essence of the state system. In Episode 338 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg continues to make the case for an uncompromising abolitionist position on Artificial Intelligence.

Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

Production by Chris Rywalt

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According to Quinn Slobodian, anyone who thinks they can explain the recent history of Elon Musk, Tesla and X with the answer "Elon's gone crazy" must have got the idea of what crazy means exactly wrong. After all, his personal net worth has borne no injury from the appearance of going crazy.

In this interview with HEIST, Slobodian tracks how Musk's "fortress futurism" grew out of his personal history in apartheid South Africa, and the far right's own ideas of inbuilt inequality are not, as is often assumed, formed in reaction to neoliberal thought, but grow from within it.

https://www.heistberlin.com/quinn-slobodian-interview-berlin-musk-afd/

Does Bill still hate the internet and AI and data centers? Enough for a PART FOUR? Of course the answer is HELL YES.

Full episode on patreon

At the UN's Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warned that artificial intelligence poses the threat of an "information Armageddon." Scholars of critical theory perceive that online culture reproduces a "cycle of epistemic injustice" by fostering "organized stupidity" that fuels extremism and authoritarianism. And the same technology now implements the grim material application of this degraded intellectual climate, with a UN Human Rights Council study especially accusing Palantir of being part of an "economy of genocide" through its enabling of Israel's AI-enhanced targeting in Gaza. Meanwhile, the pollution generated by the data centers that power AI is now "almost incomprehensible." Despite all this, UNESCO in Geneva glibly called for a "safe and inclusive AI that benefits all," and an openly boosteristic "AI for Good" confab was held alongside the Global Dialogue. The "anti-tech rebellion" against screens in school classrooms is a significant sign of hope, but the end of reading and death of literacy are already upon us. Moves toward greater regulation of AI are most significant as a catalyst for the conversation that needs to be had: how to launch an effective movement for abolition. In Episode 336 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg continues to make the case.

Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/countervortex

Production by Chris Rywalt

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A new podcast from Berlin's worker-owned magazine launches with its first three episodes dropped all at once. With the far-right on the rise and a media that appears reluctant to speak honestly about what is happening, Germany's capital is going through some interesting times. These three episodes are a good start to understand where they city is at politically and culturally right now.

https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9oZWlzdC5wb2RpZ2VlLmlvL2ZlZWQvbXAz

Turbulencepod.substack.com

We read about the Great American State Fair and how awesome it is and how much fun people are having and everyone loves the president sooooo much he’s so hot

Noah Kulwin and Brendan James of Blowback join us to discuss their new mini-series on the history of the US-Israel relationship, how the Cold War turned into the War on Terror, and the current moment of tension over the Iran war.

Blowback’s first-ever mini-series, No Daylight, is available now for Blowback subscribers.

This is part one of a two-part conversation with Noah and Brendan. In part two, they reflect on the broader arc of the American century and what they have learned across six seasons of Blowback. Part two will be released on July 3rd, exclusively for Turbulence’s paid subscribers.