About this episode

Cory Doctorow discusses the implications of AI and the concept of enshittification with Charlie Warzel.

Cory Doctorow has a refrain: “The most important thing about a gadget isn’t what it does; it’s who it does it for and what it does it to.” In this episode of “Galaxy Brain,” he sits down with Charlie Warzel to talk about the AI boom, making the case that the hype, vision, and dreams of endless growth are unsustainable. Doctorow expands on his viral “enshittification” thesis: a critique of AI based around power and whether we are using AI tools or being used by them. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Charlie Warzel

Guest: Cory Doctorow

Topics covered

• AI
• technology
• enshittification
• growth
• power dynamics

Keywords

• AI boom
• enshittification
• Cory Doctorow
• Charlie Warzel
• technology critique

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Atlantic

More episodes of Galaxy Brain

• How the World Cup Finally Won Over America · July 17, 2026 · 34 min
• The Hidden Cost of Optimizing Everything · July 10, 2026 · 45 min
• What Do We Do About Elon Musk? · July 3, 2026 · 50 min
• Why Reading Feels So Hard Now · June 26, 2026 · 47 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Galaxy Brain podcast page.