September book club | From Silicon Valley Hippies to the AI Era

About this event

How did the technology that once loomed as a cold, dehumanising bureaucratic tool in the 1960s somehow become marketed as the ultimate vehicle for personal liberation, community, and the future of artificial intelligence? Join us online via Google Meet as we explore Fred Turner’s classic book, From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism. We will dissect how a specific, anti-political wing of the 1960s commune movement actively went on to shape modern Silicon Valley tech culture. This history provides a crucial lens for today's AI era: by examining why we mistakenly treat technological systems as inherently democratic or "living," we can better understand the corporate storytelling, data mining, and institutional structures hiding behind today's "smart" machines. To ensure a deep, lively, and highly collaborative debate, it is strongly advised that all attendees read the book ahead of time. Second-hand copies are widely available online for under £10. If you want a great head start or a companion overview, attendees are also highly encouraged to listen to this excellent YouTube interview with the author, Fred Turner, on The Dig podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42XtL2NRFp4. Pull up a screen, grab your copy, and join the conversation!