by Jaron Lanier
First published 2013
Virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier examines how digital networks have poisoned the modern economy. He argues that our information systems must be restructured to repair broader economic damage. Lanier identifies "Siren Servers" as the culprits behind economic recession, privacy erosion, and middle class decline. These systems exploit big data and free information sharing to concentrate money and power. Social media platforms, financial institutions, and intelligence agencies now pose threats to the very world they helped create. Lanier has spent decades forecasting technology's impact on human society. He presents an alternative vision where information economies compensate regular people for their online contributions and activities. The book maps a route toward digital systems that distribute rather than hoard economic benefits.
Genres: business, political-science, economics, non-fiction, technology, 21st-century
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: alternative-vision, economic-benefits
240 pages · ebook · Allen Lane