In 2017, as I traversed Silicon Valley, conversing with tech gods for a magazine article, attempting to discern whether AI would be an ally or an adversary, Washington seemed to barely register on their radars. They regarded themselves as the heart of the nation. In Silicon Valley, they were forging a new breed, endeavoring to summon a sentient, non-human mind. It was as if Mary Shelley had written her tales anew. Some tech titans were optimistic about the future, while others harbored caution. Elon Musk warned of the potential summoning of a ‘demon.’ Silicon Valley was governed by a coterie of boys with toys. Bright, idiosyncratic young engineers vying for more toys than their peers, striving for superior rockets, autonomous vehicles, or robots. They were amassing a monopoly on the American public’s attention, mastering the art of algorithmic manipulation to foster divisiveness, distrust, and envy, segregating individuals and spreading angst—all under the guise of connectivity and improved living standards. Within their own elite circle, these tech billionaires were volatile—occasionally friendly, often feuding, sometimes threatening physical altercations, like the rumored boxing matches between Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, or Musk’s penchant for selling his homes and crashing on friends’ couches. They were the wealthiest, most influential men in the world, yet exuded the volatile energy of high schoolers. They were the most persnickety and peculiar mathletes in history.
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