Podcast · Tech & Science

Tech Won't Save Us

by Paris Marx · English · Tech & Science

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 9 minNew

Brazil’s Data Center Boom is Enabled by Renewables Firms w/ Laís Martins

Brazil’s renewable energy is being exploited to justify unnecessary data center construction. Laís Martins joins Paris Marx to discuss why the renewable energy sector is behind a rise in Brazilian data center development, how this is impacting communities, and the ways this greenwashing is redirecting funding away from more socially progressive projects. Laís Martins is a technology reporter at The Intercept Brasil. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hew...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E348 · 1 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

The AI Buildout is a Boon for the Fossil Fuel Industry w/ Ketan Joshi

Tech companies are working with the fossil fuel industry to push unnecessary data center projects while misrepresenting the climate impact — and governments are letting it all happen. Ketan Joshi joins Paris Marx to discuss how the data center buildout is driving a surge in fossil fuel investment, and how it’s all playing out in Australia. Ketan Joshi is a climate writer and data analyst based in Oslo working with climate and environmental groups. The podcast is made in partnership with The N...
E347 · 24 Sep 2026 · 39 min

Data Vampires Redux: Fighting for Control (Episode 4)

Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 4 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us. The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current produc...
E346 · 17 Sep 2026 · 34 min

Data Vampires Redux: Sacrificing for AI (Episode 3)

Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 3 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us. The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current produc...
E345 · 10 Sep 2026 · 36 min

Data Vampires Redux: Opposing Data Centers (Episode 2)

Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out in October. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 2 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us. The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current produc...
E344 · 3 Sep 2026 · 36 min

Data Vampires Redux: Going Hyperscale (Episode 1)

Paris’ new book Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires is coming out on October 20. To celebrate, we’re revisiting the series that planted the seeds for his deep dive into hyperscale data centers, the communities they’re affecting, and the future Silicon Valley is trying to build. This is episode 1 of Data Vampires, a special four-part series from Tech Won’t Save Us. The show is hosted by Paris Marx. Original production on Data Vampires was by Eric Wickham. Current pro...
E343 · 27 Aug 2026 · 1 hr

How Mass Layoffs Changed Working in Tech w/ Clarissa Redwine & JS Tan

Not long ago, tech jobs were sought after for their security, benefits, wages, and the progressive values promoted by Silicon Valley companies. But now workers are barely hanging on. Clarissa Redwine and JS Tan join Paris Marx to discuss the state of worker organizing in the tech industry, including how it’s changed since the mid-2010s and where it needs to go from here. Clarissa Redwine is a tech worker and labor activist. JS Tan is a PhD candidate at MIT and writes the Value Added newslette...
E342 · 20 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

Tech Fascism Has Come for American Democracy w/ Gil Durán

A cult of fascist ideology has gripped Silicon Valley, and the tech industrial complex is threatening US democracy. Gil Durán joins Paris Marx to discuss the radical billionaire cabal that is hellbent on the consolidation of corporate and political power, including the visions they have for the future and the strategies they’re using to drive us there. Gil Durán is the author of The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy and writes The Nerd Reich newsletter. The pod...
E341 · 13 Aug 2026 · 52 min

Government is Putting AI Before People and the Planet w/ Matt Haugen

Governments are prioritizing data centers at the expense of communities and the planet, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Matt Haugen joins Paris Marx to discuss how national strategies are dismantling environmental protections while enriching a handful of megacorporations, and what an alternative agenda could look like. Matt Haugen is Research and Editorial Manager at the Climate and Community Institute. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Supp...
E340 · 6 Aug 2026 · 59 min

Shopify’s Leaders Are Pushing Right-Wing Politics in Canada w/ Rachel Gilmore

Canada has tech bros too, like Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke who has a new idea to link voting rights to how much income tax you paid. Rachel Gilmore joins Paris Marx to discuss how Canadian tech companies like Shopify are pushing terrible right-wing policy ideas while influencing Mark Carney’s agenda. Rachel Gilmore is an award-winning independent journalist and creator of the Bubble Pop newsletter. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show o...
E339 · 30 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

How Cloud Giants Wield Their Power Against Us All w/ Cecilia Rikap

As Big Tech’s power continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how companies use their control over cloud infrastructure and services to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views the world. Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor at University College London’s Institute for Innovat...
E338 · 23 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI w/ Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina

Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighbourhoods — including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder. Hannah Cyrus is a digital media librarian at the Bangor Public Library. Alison Macrina is an activist li...
E337 · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

Tech Refusal Has a Very Long History w/ Thomas Dekeyser

We are often told that resisting technological development is impossible and ‘progress’ is inevitable, but history says otherwise. Thomas Dekeyser joins Paris Marx to discuss how understanding radical resistances of the past can help us rethink our modern relationship with technology and reshape our vision of the future. Thomas Dekeyser is a lecturer in human geography at the University of Southampton, author of Techno-Negative: A Long History of Refusing the Machine, and co-creator of the do...
E336 · 9 Jul 2026 · 1 hr

The AI Industry Is Spending Big on the US Midterms w/ Molly White

Last time it was the crypto industry; now the AI industry is stepping up to join it. Molly White joins Paris Marx to discuss how the tech sector is spending big to buy influence in the US midterm elections to ensure new laws serve its interests over those of the public. Molly White is the creator of Tech Influence Watch and Web3 is Going Just Great. She writes the Citation Needed newsletter. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on ...
E335 · 2 Jul 2026 · 56 min

The RAM Crisis is Coming for All Your Tech w/ Chris Person

Public ire toward AI keeps growing as the data center boom continues to hit people’s pockets. Chris Person joins Paris Marx to discuss the soaring cost of consumer electronics, including why prices are unlikely to fall anytime soon, and how people can experiment with homespun cyberpunk tech. Chris Person is a co-founder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon. Also mentioned in this ep...
E334 · 25 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

Data Center Opposition is Uniting Communities w/ Saul Levin

As tech companies race to build hyperscale data centers, communities are coming together to push back. Saul Levin joins Paris Marx to discuss how rising opposition to data center construction is uniting people across party lines and prompting broader conversations around what infrastructure people want instead. Saul Levin is community organizer and host of The Hum. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring peopl...
E333 · 18 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

Canada’s Government is Rushing AI Adoption w/ Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood

The Canadian government is going all in on AI, without understanding the real effects of the technology. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood joins Paris Marx to discuss Mark Carney’s push for large-scale investment in AI, despite being unable to describe how adoption will work, how Canadians will benefit, and what policies will be implemented to mitigate growing risks and harms. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood senior researcher and political economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The p...
E332 · 11 Jun 2026 · 57 min

Silicon Valley Is Turning Nurses Into Gig Workers w/ Katie J. Wells

The Uber model is finally coming for healthcare. Katie J. Wells joins Paris Marx to discuss how much the healthcare gig apps resemble Uber’s rollout, why they aren’t being properly regulated, and the effects they’re having on staff and patients alike. Katie J. Wells is a Senior Fellow at AI Now Institute and a co-author of Disrupting D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of insp...
E331 · 4 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

The SpaceX IPO Gives Elon Musk Even More Power w/ Sean O’Kane

SpaceX is finally going public, and it’s bad news for anyone who wants to rein in Elon Musk. Sean O’Kane joins Paris Marx to discuss the flimsy sci-fi ideas Elon Musk is using to justify the company’s massive valuation and the way corporate governance rules are shifting to give him even more power. Sean O’Kane is a senior reporter at TechCrunch. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech an...
E330 · 28 May 2026 · 55 min

Do Chatbots Really Belong in Schools? w/ Tom Mullaney

Generative AI is making its way into many parts of society, and schools are no different. Tom Mullaney joins Paris Marx to discuss how generative AI has been adopted in K-12 education and the many concerns it presents for students and teachers. Tom Mullaney is a high school social studies teacher in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. ...
E329 · 21 May 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

Prediction Markets Want to Financialize Everything w/ Jathan Sadowski

Polymarket and Kalshi are everywhere. But what are they doing to society? Jathan Sadowski joins Paris Marx to discuss the rise of prediction markets and their negative social effects as they push the global economy closer toward the financialization of everything. Jathan Sadowski is an Associate Professor at Monash University. He is the author of The Mechanic and the Luddite and co-hosts This Machine Kills. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, an...
E328 · 14 May 2026 · 59 min

The UK Government’s AI Obsession is a Big Risk w/ Will Dunn

What happens when a government goes all in on AI? It creates some huge vulnerabilities. Will Dunn joins Paris Marx to dig into how the UK government is using chatbots to write laws without public consultation and why it isn’t asking the hard questions about the risks of that growing reliance on US technology. Will Dunn is the business editor at the New Statesman. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring peopl...
E327 · 7 May 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

Muskism is the New Fordism w/ Ben Tarnoff & Quinn Slobodian

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian to discuss their new book Muskism which explores how Elon Musk exemplifies a new economic system shaping our lives, similar to Fordism in the twentieth century. Ben Tarnoff & Quinn Slobodian are the authors of Muskism. Ben is a writer and technologist based in Massachusetts and the author of Internet for the People. Quinn is professor of international history at Boston University, and the author of books like Crack-Up Capital...
E326 · 30 Apr 2026 · 1 hr

Tim Cook’s Real Legacy at Apple w/ Brian Merchant

Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss Apple’s announcement that Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, including his history and legacy, and what may be next for the company. Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device and Blood in the Machine and writes a newsletter of the same name. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreo...
E325 · 23 Apr 2026 · 1 hr

The Problem with "CEO Said a Thing" Journalism w/ Karl Bode

Paris Marx is joined by Karl Bode to discuss how tech journalists coupled with corporate interests are irresponsibly boosting the profile of tech CEOs, further damaging public trust in institutional journalism and highlighting the need for publicly funded media organizations. Karl Bode is a freelance reporter and writes The Fine Print newsletter. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand bett...
E324 · 16 Apr 2026 · 54 min

Cybertrucks Are a Safety Disaster w/ Dara Kerr

Paris Marx is joined by Dara Kerr to discuss how Elon’s decision to prioritize aesthetics over safety has created a safety crisis causing people to burn alive in their Cybertrucks and other Tesla vehicles. Dara Kerr is a technology reporter at Guardian US. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership w...
E323 · 9 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

Take A Break From The Feed w/ Amanda Mull

Paris Marx is joined by Amanda Mull to discuss the effects of constantly “monitoring the situation” through custom news, social, or live feeds, including higher rates of anxiety and disconnection, and what can be done to recalibrate. Amanda Mull is a senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and writes the Buying Power column. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better ...
E322 · 2 Apr 2026 · 1 hr

Why Iran is Attacking Data Centers w/ Sam Biddle

Paris Marx is joined by Sam Biddle to discuss what it means for data centers to become targets in a war, and how Silicon Valley is aiding the US war against Iran. Sam Biddle is a technology journalist at The Intercept. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SAVEUS at the link bel...
E321 · 26 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

The Long History of the US War on Iran w/ Spencer Ackerman

Paris Marx is joined by Spencer Ackerman to discuss the US and Israeli war on Iran, including the history that led to this moment and what we might see from here. Spencer Ackerman is the author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump and the forthcoming book The Torture and Deliverance of Majid Khan. He also write the Forever Wars newsletter. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of...
E320 · 19 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 19 min

Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein w/ Ed Niedermeyer

Paris Marx is joined by Ed Niedermeyer to discuss the years-long relationship between Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein, and how their relationship sheds light on the murky inner workings of the one percent. Ed Niedermeyer is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and a co-host of the Autonocast. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Supp...

About Tech Won't Save Us

Silicon Valley wants to shape our future, but why should we let it? Every Thursday, Paris Marx is joined by a new guest to critically examine the tech industry, its big promises, and the people behind them. Tech Won’t Save Us challenges the notion that tech alone can drive our world forward by showing that separating tech from politics has consequences for us all, especially the most vulnerable. It’s not your usual tech podcast.

Tech Won't Save Us is a English tech & science podcast from Paris Marx. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Paris Marx
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1507621076

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