If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

In this episode, independent journalist Antony Loewenstein explains how Silicon Valley once promoted itself as the centre of innovation and connection, designing tools that would improve the world.

Those days are long gone with many Silicon Valley “leaders” going full MAGA, embracing Trumpism, militarisation and Israel.

What does it mean for society and democracy when AI firms are wholly unregulated? How do we reclaim sovereignty over online spaces, social media and AI?

Are we heading into a dark time where AI and unelected Silicon Valley “leaders” are taking us to a period of unprecedented disaster capitalism?

Credits:

Produced by Lem Zakharia

Links to footage:

3:23: https://www.donotpanic.news/p/the-ai-drones-used-in-gaza-now-surveilling

3:55: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/04/chris-buskirk-maga-vance-post-trump/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzYyMjMyNDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzYzNjE0Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NjIyMzI0MDAsImp0aSI6Ijk5YWZhMmE5LTZhYWEtNGE3NC1iMWMxLTUxNjUzMmZmOWJkMiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5LzIwMjUvMTEvMDQvY2hyaXMtYnVza2lyay1tYWdhLXZhbmNlLXBvc3QtdHJ1bXAvIn0.Nk3INROYmwwt16HaHUNQ_iWxt9l3u1o1G7ZftWlMiH4

7:03: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/10/tech-companies-are-stealing-our-books-music-and-films-for-ai-its-brazen-theft-and-must-be-stopped

12:09: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/127-disaster-capitalism