The Dirty Alliance Between Tech and the Oil Industry w/ JS Tan

Tech Won't Save Us

#Books #Arts #News #Paris Marx #Technology #Tech Criticism #Future #Tech #Silicon Valley #Tech News #Politics #Social #Critics

24:35

It’s the very first episode of The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr and our first guest is Phil Wang! And Phil’s subgenre is…This Place is Evil. We’re talking psychological torture, we’re talking gory death scenes, we’re talking Lorraine Kelly?! The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr is a brand new comedy podcast where each week a different celebrity guest pitches an idea for a film based on one of the SUPER niche sub-genres on Netflix. From ‘Steamy Crime Movies from the 1970s’ to ‘Australian Dysfunctional Family Comedies Starring A Strong Female Lead’, our celebrity guests will pitch their wacky plot, their dream cast, the marketing stunts, and everything in between. By the end of every episode, Jimmy Carr, Comedian by night / “Netflix Executive” by day, will decide whether the pitch is greenlit or condemned to development hell! Listen on all podcast platforms and watch on the Netflix Is A Joke YouTube Channel . The Big Pitch is a co-production by Netflix and BBC Studios Audio. Jimmy Carr is an award-winning stand-up comedian and writer, touring his brand-new show JIMMY CARR: LAUGHS FUNNY throughout the USA from May to November this year, as well as across the UK and Europe, before hitting Australia and New Zealand in early 2026. All info and tickets for the tour are available at JIMMYCARR.COM Production Coordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Production Manager: Mabel Finnegan-Wright Editor: Stuart Reid Producer: Pete Strauss Executive Producer: Richard Morris Executive Producers for Netflix: Kathryn Huyghue, Erica Brady, and David Markowitz Set Design: Helen Coyston Studios: Tower Bridge Studios Make Up: Samantha Coughlan Cameras: Daniel Spencer Sound: Charlie Emery Branding: Tim Lane Photography: James Hole…

about a year ago 53:06

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Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss his experience seeing first hand how Microsoft deployed its cloud and machine learning services to help Chevron extract more oil and gas, and the state of tech worker organizing around climate change.
JS Tan is a PhD student at MIT, researching cloud computing in the US and China. He’s a a member of Collective Action in Tech and writes the Value Added newsletter.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.
Also mentioned in this episode:

Read JS Tan’s “Oil Is the New Data” piece in Logic Magazine.

Support the show

295 episodes

The Dirty Alliance Between Tech and the Oil Industry w/ JS Tan

Tech Won't Save Us

1,231 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Read JS Tan’s “Oil Is the New Data” piece in Logic Magazine.

Support the show

295 episodes

#Books #Arts #News #Paris Marx #Technology #Tech Criticism #Future #Tech #Silicon Valley #Tech News #Politics #Social #Critics

All episodes

Tech Won't Save Us

1
The New Military Industry Complex w/ Sam Biddle 57:06

3 hours ago57:06

57:06

Paris Marx is joined by Sam Biddle to discuss how Silicon Valley is shamelessly courting government military contracts, using tactics to silence employee dissent and normalize the situation to the public, and what it all means for the future of military geopolitics. Sam Biddle is a senior technology reporter at The Intercept . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Sam wrote about how defense tech companies sought to capitalize on Trump’s return to office and OpenAI’s embrace of nationalism . Trae Stephens was interviewed by Wired last year, where he made his comments about the military industrial complex. Meta and Anduril teamed up to provide VR and AR devices to the US military. Trump’s US Army appointee won’t give up his Anduril stock. Palantir’s CEO wrote the Defense Reformation report and Andreessen Horowitz launched an American Dynamism division. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
The Case for a Digital Detox w/ Casey Johnston 55:18

7 days ago55:18

55:18

Paris Marx is joined by Casey Johnston to discuss why she pared back on social media, made her smartphone much dumber, and what she learned about how bodies are treated online through her fitness journey. Casey Johnston is the creator of the She’s A Beast newsletter and author of A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation . Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Casey wrote about her DIY Dumbphone Method and reducing social media use . Facebook reportedly detected when teenage girls deleted photos so it could serve them beauty ads. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Generative AI is Not Inevitable w/ Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna 53:13

14 days ago53:13

53:13

Paris Marx is joined by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna to discuss the harms of generative AI, how the industry keeps the public invested while companies flounder under the weight of unmet promises, and what people can do to push back. Emily M. Bender is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at University of Washington. Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Institute. They are the authors of The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: New York Magazine reported on the consequences of increasingly widespread use of ChatGPT in education. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Elon Musk is Remaking the US Space Program w/ Tim Fernholz 1:00:57

21 days ago1:00:57

1:00:57

Paris Marx is joined by Tim Fernholz to discuss how Elon Musk’s influence in the White House is shaping the US Space Program, why he’s pushing NASA toward Mars instead of the Moon, and whether the Starship rocket is in trouble. Tim Fernholz is a senior reporter at Payload Space and the author of Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation . Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Tim wrote about Donald Trump’s NASA budget and Jared Isaacman’s confirmation hearing . The Wall Street Journal wrote about Elon Musk’s plans to get NASA to refocus on Mars . Trump’s proposed budget aims to cut NASA’s science budget by 47% as part of a larger 24% cut to the agency’s top-line funding. SpaceX’s Starship rocket is running into serious problems . Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
The Roots of Elon Musk’s War On Empathy w/ Julia Carrie Wong 52:20

28 days ago52:20

52:20

Paris Marx is joined by Julia Carrie Wong to discuss Elon Musk’s recent opposition to empathy, how it comes out of the Christian right, and the relationship it has to previous discussions of longtermism. Julia Carrie Wong is a features writer at The Guardian . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Julia wrote about how the Christian right is reframing empathy as a threat to civilization. In 2017, she also interviewed Elon Musk about worker injuries at Tesla. In February, none other than Pope Francis pushed back on JD Vance’s use of a Christian theological concept to justify Trump’s inhumane immigration policies. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
How Brainrot AI is Upending the Internet w/ Jason Koebler 53:38

5 weeks ago53:38

53:38

Paris Marx is joined by Jason Koebler to discuss the economy behind AI slop generation, how people are building businesses on AI-generated images, and the wider consequences of their proliferation on social media. Jason Koebler is a cofounder of 404 Media and cohost of the 404 Media Podcast. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Jason wrote about how Brainrot AI is monetized on Instagram and the wider effects of AI slop on how we perceive reality. He also wrote about how whether the tech industry’s bet on Donald Trump is working out with Emanuel Maiberg. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
How Masayoshi Son Shaped the Tech Industry w/ Laleh Khalili 52:17

6 weeks ago52:17

52:17

Paris Marx is joined by Laleh Khalili to discuss Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, the structural factors that allowed him to build an empire, and the many ways he’s shaped the modern tech industry. Laleh Khalili is Professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and the author of Sinews of War and Trade and her forthcoming book Extractive Capitalism . Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Laleh wrote a review of a new book about Masa. She also mentioned The Box by Marc Levinson and The Next Shift by Gabriel Winant. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Digital Sovereignty in a Time of Rising Fascism 41:12

7 weeks ago41:12

41:12

Paris Marx is doing a solo episode this week to bring together some important issues that have been on his mind lately. This is a recording of a talk Paris gave in Auckland, New Zealand on how Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump forces us to reassess the politics of the internet and challenge our collective dependence on US tech as it embraces the project of American empire. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Paris co-wrote a white paper on digital sovereignty and has written about the need to challenge US tech in response to Silicon Valley’s alliance with Trump. Paris also mentioned the EuroStack and British Digital Cooperative report. Dark Times Academy offers courses on a wide range of topics. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Can Europe End Its Dependence on US Tech? w/ Aline Blankertz 47:53

8 weeks ago47:53

47:53

Paris Marx is joined by Aline Blankertz to discuss whether Europe is going to finally make a serious push to end its dependence on US tech and how different European interests are trying to take advantage of those debates. Aline Blankertz is an economist working on digital policy. She currently works with Rebalance Now and was previously at Wikimedia Germany. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Aline published some thoughts on the push for tech sovereignty in Europe. Paris co-wrote a white paper on digital sovereignty last year and more recently argued the US needs to feel the consequences for its actions. If you want to apply to be the show’s producer, find more information here . Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
The Dirty Alliance Between Tech and the Oil Industry w/ JS Tan 53:06

9 weeks ago53:06

53:06

Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss his experience seeing first hand how Microsoft deployed its cloud and machine learning services to help Chevron extract more oil and gas, and the state of tech worker organizing around climate change. JS Tan is a PhD student at MIT, researching cloud computing in the US and China. He’s a a member of Collective Action in Tech and writes the Value Added newsletter. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Read JS Tan’s “ Oil Is the New Dat a” piece in Logic Magazine. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
DOGE Is Gutting the US Digital Service w/ Kate Green and Milo 52:43

10 weeks ago52:43

52:43

Paris Marx is joined by Kate Green and Milo to discuss how Elon Musk’s DOGE is dismantling the US Digital Service and the consequences that has on really improving service delivery in government. Kate Green and Milo are former US Digital Service engineers. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Find out more about We The Builders and read perspectives of federal workers. USDS workers have resigned en masse from DOGE, and Musk’s agency has fired many of those who haven’t left. The General Services Administration has also cut the 18F technology team , and has been doing mass layoffs at the Technology Transformation Service. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Preview: Breaking Down Canada’s Election on Campaign Cops 36:19

10 weeks ago36:19

36:19

Don’t worry; your regularly scheduled Tech Won’t Save Us is coming soon! But if you’re looking to try something a little different and get a critical take on the ongoing Canadian election, check out Campaign Cops, a special five-week series hosted by Paris Marx and Rachel Gilmore. The first episode is here for you to try out, but if you want to keep listening, find future episodes on Rachel’s YouTube channel or her podcast feed on places like Apple or Spotify . Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
Canada’s Tech Leaders Want Their Own DOGE w/ Jen St. Denis 51:41

11 weeks ago51:41

51:41

Paris Marx is joined by Jen St. Denis to discuss how Silicon Valley thinking is creeping into Canadian politics as Donald Trump continues to threaten the country with tariffs and annexation. Jen St. Denis is a reporter with The Tyee. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Jen wrote about the Canadian tech leaders who want their own DOGE and a BC-based Twitter/X account pushing white supremacism. Paris wrote about the effort to expand DOGE beyond US borders and the conservative-tech alliance in Canada . A recent poll found 51% of Canadians now see the United States as an enemy or potential threat. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
AI Hype Enters Its Geopolitics Era w/ Timnit Gebru 55:19

12 weeks ago55:19

55:19

Paris Marx is joined by Timnit Gebru to discuss where the AI industry stands in 2025 as AI increasingly becomes a geopolitical football even as the big promises made by AI companies fail to materialize. Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon . The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Also mentioned in this episode: Timnit wrote about the TESCREAL bundle of ideologies with Émile Torres. The Data Workers’ Inquiry allowed data workers to share their experiences in their workplaces. Support the show…

Tech Won't Save Us

1
The UK’s Misguided Embrace of AI Hype w/ James Meadway 45:22

13 weeks ago45:22