Episode 39

The Politics of Air Pollution, Ozempic, and Luddism ft. Brian Merchant

April 21, 2024

TRANSCRIPT

In this episode, Shobita and Jack tackle the EPA's recent efforts to increase monitoring of air pollutants, Jack's new documentary on existential risks, and the Ozempic craze. And Jack chats with Brian Merchant, a freelance journalist who focuses on tech who recently wrote Blood in the machine: The origins of rebellion against big tech about the history of Luddism.

Study Questions:

1. How might we critically consider expanded oversight by the EPA, and its ability to translate to better regulation for environmental justice communities

2. How does the launch of weight loss drugs like Ozempic for the general population represent a shift towards individualized responsibility for obesity? How might it interact with anti-fat biases in society

3. Who were the Luddites, and what drove them to organize against industrial entrepreneurs

4. In the context of regulatory legislation, how do the arguments of today’s Big Tech parallel those of industrialists 200 years ago

5. What examples of critical resistance to AI can we identify in today’s world?

Related links:

• Merchant, Brian. (2023) Blood in the machine: The origins of rebellion against big tech. Hatchette Book Group. New York.

• Brian Merchant’s Substack

• For UK listeners, an audio adaptation of Blood in the Machine on BBC Radio.

• Stilgoe, Jack (2024). How Real is the Existential Risk from AI? Analysis 4. BBC Radio.