Spotting and Debunking Tech Propaganda
0Tech Propaganda: An Introduction to Critical Thinking in Technology
Episode Notes
1. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
• Definition: Rushing to adopt new technologies without clear benefits
• Examples:
• Implementing GenAI without clear ROI just because competitors are doing it
• Skill development driven by fear of obsolescence
• VCs worried about missing the next big thing2. Naive Utopianism
• Definition: Assuming all technology is inherently good
• Examples:
• Believing more smartphone scrolling is always better
• Expecting social media to lead to world peace
• Promoting UBI or crypto as universal solutions
• Assuming AI can completely replace teachers3. Disruption and Technological Solutionism
• Definition: Ignoring negative consequences of tech solutions
• Key point: Tendency to overlook negative externalities4. "Selling Two Day Old Fish"
• Definition: Resisting improvements to maintain profitable but outdated products/services
• Examples:
• Exaggerating job market demand for outdated skills
• Appealing to authority (big tech companies)
• Dismissing newer technologies as unnecessary or overly complex
• Claiming established technologies aren't actually old/slow5. Superficial Media
• Definition: Promoting shallow or misleading information about technology
• Examples:
• Media monetizing via supplements
• Conspiracy theory forums
• Inexperienced podcast hosts discussing complex topics
• Making sensational predictions about future tech with little evidence
• Oversimplifying complex topics6. Push to Disrupt
• Definition: Overconfidence in technology's ability to solve complex problems
• Examples:
• "Figure out the business model later" mentality
• Pushing products to market prematurely
• Ignoring negative externalities
• Dismissing critics as "not understanding the vision"7. Billionairism
• Definition: Excessive admiration of tech billionaires and their perceived expertise
• Examples:
• Equating extreme wealth with universal expertise
• Idolizing tech billionaires as infallible visionaries
• Romanticizing the "Harvard/Stanford dropout genius" narrative
• Ignoring the role of luck vs. skill
• Overemphasizing individual genius over team efforts8. Irrational Exceptionalism
• Definition: Unrealistic beliefs about a startup's chances of success
• Examples:
• "We're different from other startups that fail"
• "Weekends are a social construct"
• Obsession with "changing the world"
• Rationalizing present hardships for imagined future gains
• Dismissing industry-wide failure rates
• Glorifying extreme effort and sacrifice9. Double Down
• Definition: Making increasingly grand claims to distract from unfulfilled promises
• Examples:
• Promising self-driving cars "next year", then pivoting to Mars travel
• Deflecting from current AI model flaws with promises of future sentience10. Trojan Source
• Definition: Open source projects that later switch to commercial licensing
• Examples:
• "Rug pull" strategy in open source
• Using community labor before pivoting to commercial model11. "Generous Pour" Ethical Framing
• Definition: Highlighting easy ethical actions while ignoring larger issues
• Examples:
• Claiming unbiased AI training sets while hiding addictive design
• Emphasizing harm reduction in AI outputs while ignoring IP theft12. Business Model Circular Logic
• Definition: Exploiting legal grey areas and claiming they're essential to the business model
• Examples:
• Justifying use of pirated data for AI training
• Creating unfair competition by ignoring regulations (e.g., taxi services, hotels)
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