Jacobin Radio The Dig: Silicon Empires w/ Nick Srnicek
Jan 28, 2026
Nick Srnicek, academic and author on the digital economy and technology politics. He maps the AI stack from chips to apps. He explores business models chasing AGI and how cloud providers exert control. He compares U.S. and China tech strategies and the rise of techno‑nationalism. He discusses automation’s uneven effects on work and the political stakes of AI’s militarization.
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Where The Real Value Likely Lies
- Diffusion of applications, not model invention, historically creates most economic value from GPTs.
- AI may be unique if models plus APIs let builders recapture more downstream value than past GPTs.
The Old Silicon Valley Consensus
- The 'Silicon Valley consensus' fused US state support with tech's global expansion under neoliberal norms.
- That consensus granted tech autonomy in exchange for economic and strategic benefits to the US.
China's Growth-Focused Tech Consensus
- China's tech-state consensus prioritized domestic development and integrating rural economies via platforms.
- That model focused on growth rather than early self-reliance until US containment pressure changed incentives.
