↓Skip to main content
Zeitgeist — a spike by Chris Gathercole
  1. Creators/
  2. Cory Doctorow — Pluralistic/

Pluralistic: On the sincerity of AI bosses (17 Sep 2026)

Blog · Watch/Read · (gathered 2026-09-23)

  • Technofascism, like all fascism, is an “incoherent bundle” of mutually incompatible beliefs and groups, which explains the current chaos and contradictions among AI leaders.
  • This “incoherent bundle” allows for the coexistence of genuinely apocalyptic “AI cultists” (who believe they are “immanentizing the eschaton”) and cynical grifters who use AI hype for marketing, regulatory capture, and justifying mass layoffs.
  • The inherent fracture lines within this coalition become apparent when interests diverge, as seen when Nvidia’s CEO downplayed AI’s “god-making” potential after customers demanded a moratorium on development.
  • Understanding this fundamental incoherence is vital, as senior members of such coalitions must be capable of both sincere belief and tacit acceptance of contradictory beliefs from their peers, until a breaking point.