In his new book, “The Mechanic and the Luddite: A Ruthless Critique of AI and Capitalism,” social scientist Jathan Sadowski recruits his critical pen to demystifying how elites leverage two systems — technology and capitalism — to determine our world.
According to Sadowski, capital forges the technologies it then wields against us. Finding inspiration in the historical luddites, who enjoyed significant popular support in 19th century England, his critique aims to equips readers with practical tools to dismantle the systems of technology and capitalism and build a better world, bit by bit.
In this talk, recorded at BESI on February 6, 2025, Sadowski walks us carefully through the arguments of his new book and takes questions from audience members on range of related subjects.
About the Speaker
Jathan Sadowski is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University. His work focuses on the political economy and social theory of information technology. He has an ongoing project studying the techno-politics of the insurance industry, actuarial science, and risk governance. Sadowski is the author of two books about technology and capitalism: “The Mechanic and The Luddite” (UC Press, 2025) and “Too Smart” (MIT Press, 2020). He also co-hosts the podcast “This Machine Kills.”