Dr. Jill Lepore on why AI backlash is vital for the future
News Source
β’2026-07-20T11:00:00-04:00
π° What Happened
Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Dr. Jill Lepore appeared on The Verge's Decoder podcast to discuss her new book 'The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State'. She argues that pushback against AI is healthy and needed. Lepore says counting and measuring everything breaks society in important ways.
She points to college graduates booing AI at graduation ceremonies as a sign that people are waking up. The backlash is not just Luddism, she says - it is a vital part of deciding what kind of future we want. The book comes out on August 25.
π The Backstory
Dr. Lepore is a well-known historian who studies how institutions and systems change over time. Her new book looks at how governments and companies use data and AI to track and control people. She compares today's AI push to other times in history when new technology sparked strong reactions.
The podcast host Nilay Patel discussed how measuring everything through data changes how society works. Lepore argues that the backlash against AI is not just fear of the new. It is people pushing back against being turned into data points. She sees this resistance as a good thing that could lead to better rules and limits.
π― Why It Matters
AI is being added to almost every part of life. Listening to people who question it helps make sure we do not rush into a future that loses sight of human values.
Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Dr. Jill Lepore appeared on The Verge's Decoder podcast to discuss her new book 'The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State'. She argues that pushback against AI is healthy and needed. Lepore says counting and measuring everything breaks society in important ways.
She points to college graduates booing AI at graduation ceremonies as a sign that people are waking up. The backlash is not just Luddism, she says - it is a vital part of deciding what kind of future we want. The book comes out on August 25.
Dr. Lepore is a well-known historian who studies how institutions and systems change over time. Her new book looks at how governments and companies use data and AI to track and control people. She compares today's AI push to other times in history when new technology sparked strong reactions.
The podcast host Nilay Patel discussed how measuring everything through data changes how society works. Lepore argues that the backlash against AI is not just fear of the new. It is people pushing back against being turned into data points. She sees this resistance as a good thing that could lead to better rules and limits.
AI is being added to almost every part of life. Listening to people who question it helps make sure we do not rush into a future that loses sight of human values.