New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Ted Striphas, "Algorithmic Culture Before the Internet" (Columbia UP, 2023)
Feb 18, 2026
Ted Striphas, media studies scholar and chair at University of Colorado Boulder, traces how pre-digital systems used repetitive, rule-based practices that resemble algorithms. He explores language, print culture, and how words shaped computation’s cultural roots. The conversation ranges from lost human dialogue to tactics for resisting algorithmic control, and hints at AI’s implications for cultural production.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Language Preceded Digital Algorithms
- Algorithmic culture emerged in language long before digital machines existed.
- Words and ideas shaped the imagination that later built computational systems.
Machines Replace Cultural Conversation
- Outsourcing cultural decisions to machines removes dialogical engagement between people.
- That loss undermines the agonistic back-and-forth that shapes meaningful culture.
Pleasant Tone Quietens Cultural Struggle
- AI interfaces favor pleasant, ego-massaging responses over agonistic critique.
- That tone reduces cultural struggle and the challenging exchange that grows understanding.
