Shoshana Zuboff: AI is Not Progress, But “Surveillance Capitalism Continuing”
Breaking News: Leading thinker on the societal impact of technology, Shoshana Zuboff, warns that the rapid development of artificial intelligence isn’t a leap forward, but a dangerous continuation of “surveillance capitalism.” In an exclusive interview with EL PAÍS, the Harvard Business School professor emeritus paints a chilling picture of a future where personal data is relentlessly harvested and exploited, potentially eroding democracy itself. This is a Google News priority story.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: An Expanding Threat
Zuboff, author of the seminal 2019 book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, explains that the core principle remains the same: the collection and commodification of personal data. “AI is simply surveillance capitalism continuing to evolve and expand with some new methodologies, but still based on theft,” she stated. Her upcoming book, slated for 2026, will serve as an update to her previous work, focusing specifically on the escalating risks posed by artificial intelligence. The interview, conducted via Google Meet – a platform Zuboff herself acknowledges contributes to the problem – highlighted the inescapable nature of data collection in the modern world.
From Search Engines to Predictive Control
Zuboff details how Google inadvertently discovered the power of predictive analytics. Every search query, every click, became a piece of data revealing a user’s habits, beliefs, and even their deepest vulnerabilities. This data wasn’t used to improve the search experience, but to build detailed profiles that could be sold to advertisers and others. “They realized that predictions of human behavior could be sold,” Zuboff explained. This realization fundamentally changed the internet, transforming it from a space for open information into what Zuboff describes as a “surveillance prison with no bars or guards, but also no exit.”
The Trump-Tech Oligarch “Marriage” and Fusion Scenarios
The situation, Zuboff argues, is further complicated by the convergence of political power and technological dominance. She likened the inauguration of Donald Trump, surrounded by tech leaders, to a “wedding ceremony.” Both sides, she believes, needed something from the other. Tech companies sought a regulatory environment free from oversight, while Trump needed a media landscape ripe for the spread of misinformation. This alliance, she warns, is leading to “fusion scenarios” – a dangerous merging of surveillance capabilities between the private and public sectors, mirroring the situation in China.
Europe’s Stand and the Urgency of Regulation
While the United States lags behind, Zuboff points to Europe as a beacon of hope. The EU’s Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, and AI Act represent significant steps towards regulating Big Tech and protecting user privacy. However, she cautions that European leaders are facing pressure to appease the Trump administration, potentially jeopardizing these hard-won gains. “If I could persuade the leaders of the EU of anything is that this is the time to be fierce,” she urged. This is a critical moment for SEO and digital rights globally.
Government Surveillance: A Historical Partnership
Zuboff also draws a direct line between government surveillance and the rise of surveillance capitalism, tracing it back to the aftermath of 9/11. The Patriot Act and the “war on terror” created a demand for the very data that tech companies were collecting. “Washington understood immediately that these companies were grabbing all this data that they needed,” she explained. This partnership, she argues, has continued to this day, blurring the lines between state security and corporate profit.
Zuboff’s message is clear: regulation is a necessary first step, but ultimately insufficient. True change requires a fundamental rethinking of our relationship with technology, a rejection of the idea that data collection is inevitable, and a commitment to building a future centered on human dignity and democratic values. The stakes, she insists, are nothing less than the survival of democracy itself.
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