Arabic version: دكتورو يتحدى مزاعم حتمية الذكاء الاصطناعي في قطاع التكنولوجيا

According to ABC News, science fiction author, activist and technology critic Cory Doctorow says technology executives’ claims about artificial intelligence are neither absolute nor inevitable. Doctorow, who coined the term “enshittification” to describe digital platforms deteriorating as they prioritise profit, has released a new book, The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI.

Doctorow argues that science fiction is less about forecasting gadgets than examining who technology benefits and who it harms. He said this perspective helps writers assess what he described as self-serving claims by technology executives, including predictions that AI will transform society, replace workers or become superintelligent.

He distinguished statistical word prediction from understanding, arguing that AI-enabled autocomplete can make useful guesses without possessing human comprehension. Doctorow also said automation can be organised in different ways: when driven by capital it may focus on throughput, while labour-led adoption can improve quality.

Doctorow warned that employers may replace workers with AI systems that cannot perform their jobs if they believe customers will accept lower-quality products. Framing that outcome as proof that AI can do workers’ jobs, he said, can support the investment narrative behind the AI bubble.

In discussing a possible bursting of that bubble, Doctorow said equipment could become far cheaper through bankruptcies and trained workers could use available software to build new products. He cited DeepSeek, described as a Chinese hedge fund’s skunk works, as an example of software becoming more efficient on older chips. Doctorow is visiting Australia this month for appearances at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas and The Wheeler Centre.