Harvard historian Jill Lepore is drawing fresh attention to the way technology is reshaping public life. In her upcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, she argues that some tech leaders are increasingly treating private platforms and algorithms as if they were public institutions.
Speaking about the book's central idea, Lepore describes the "artificial state" as a system in which machines, corporations, and automated processes begin to absorb roles once reserved for democratic government. She says this trend is often framed as efficiency, but can gradually shift power away from citizens and toward private control.
Lepore also revisits the long relationship between science fiction and technology culture. In her view, many Silicon Valley founders have read classic warning stories as if they were blueprints. She points to the way futuristic narratives, from early industrial-era fiction to modern AI debates, have shaped how innovators imagine progress, authority, and social order.
At the same time, she makes a clear distinction between technology itself and the philosophies built around it. For Lepore, the issue is not innovation, but the growing habit of letting private companies take on public responsibilities without broad consent or democratic oversight.
She also reflects on the internet's early promise, noting that many digital tools were first celebrated as liberating technologies before becoming central to politics, communication, and civic influence. That evolution, she suggests, shows why historical perspective matters when evaluating new platforms and AI systems.
Lepore's broader message is that progress should not be measured by speed alone. In her view, durable innovation must still answer to public values, shared rules, and human judgment. The future of technology, she implies, will depend on how well societies keep those principles in balance.
As AI and digital infrastructure expand, the coming years may define a new model where innovation and democratic accountability evolve together.
