Jill Lepore on the ‘Artificial State’ and why Silicon Valley’s leaders are bad sci-fi readers

Historian Jill Lepore argues that major technology firms are increasingly adopting the functions of democratic government without the accountability that comes with it. Her upcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, examines how companies like Twitter and Facebook have already begun to distort public discourse and displace local news sources. Lepore suggests these leaders confuse technological expansion with political progress while openly declaring their intention to replace the nation-state. During a recent interview on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, she explained that current AI executives are marketing an outdated fantasy wrapped in new language. She draws a direct line from the 1984 Macintosh advertisement to Anthropic‘s recent AI constitution and Sam Altman’s comments regarding an AI president. Lepore cites E.M. Forster’s 1909 science fiction story The Machine Stops as a warning blueprint, noting that the narrative now resembles the diary of a very unhappy YouTuber. She maintains that this artificial state model is ultimately unsustainable and requires significant restraint to prevent further erosion of public trust.
* Lepore compares the 1984 Macintosh ad to Anthropic’s AI constitution.
* She believes E.M. Forster’s story now reads like a unhappy YouTuber’s diary.
* The historian argues the artificial state model cannot last without checks.