The Tech Policy Press Podcast How to Study the Phenomenon of Tech Hype
15 snips
Mar 29, 2026 Marché Arends, Cape Town investigative journalist on big tech and labor; Andreu Belsunces Gonçalves, sociologist of technology exploring tech, economy, and future imaginaries; Jascha Bareis, political scientist studying AI and political communication. They map Hype Studies, who crafts and amplifies tech hype, its ties to finance and the military, journalism’s role, and the human and ecological costs of hyped AI.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Hype Is A Structured Political Phenomenon
- Hype Is A Political Power Tool Not Just Noise.
- Andreu Belsunces explains hypers are actors with unequal access and legitimacy who shape markets, regulation, and public imagination to capture economic and discursive power.
Venture Capital Makes Hype Economically Essential
- Techno‑financial Capitalism Amplifies Hype Through Speculation.
- Andreu Belsunces ties venture capital's planetary‑scale bets to a double speculation: economic returns and technological futures that hype helps legitimize.
Doomer Narratives Drive Investor FOMO
- Doomerism And Urgency Are Tools To Mobilize Investment.
- Marché Arends argues fear narratives (AGI doom, urgency) drive investor FOMO and justify feverish competition to monopolize markets quickly.