Silicon Valley misreads science fiction and undermines democracy

In her forthcoming book "The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State," historian Jill Lepore argues that private corporations in Silicon Valley are increasingly replacing the functions of democratic government, leading to a return to tyranny and mystification. This artificial state, she claims, is ushered in by the rule of algorithms, corporations, and machines.

While Lepore is not anti-technologist, she contends that certain tech leaders, particularly Elon Musk, are misreading science fiction and comic book tropes, which ultimately contradict their professed political beliefs.