Inside the Age of AI Anxiety
Thinking, feeling, and creating our way towards a politics that values life.
We’re trying something new for you today: a visual exploration of the political and personal consequences of the dawning “age of AI.” Let us know in the comments if you like this approach to storytelling. It was made by a human, so all experimentation, imperfection, and emotion is my own. (For visually impaired readers, voiceover is included below.)
Sources:
Provocative San Francisco billboards raise questions about AI eliminating human jobs
Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared”
Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College
White House Posts Ghoulish AI Cartoon Showing Woman's Deportation
"Insult To Life Itself": Ghibli Founder Hayao Miyazaki On AI-Generated Art
Google axes its promise not to use AI for weapons or surveillance just weeks into the Trump presidency
Exclusive: Musk's DOGE using AI to snoop on U.S. federal workers, sources say
Deadly and Imminent: The Pentagon’s Mad Dash for Silicon Valley’s AI Weapons
US government is using AI for unprecedented social media surveillance
AI tutors are already changing higher ed
Bill Gates Says AI Will Replace Doctors, Teachers and More in Next 10 Years, Making Humans Unnecessary 'for Most Things'
Elon Musk’s xAI accused of pollution over Memphis supercomputer
Revealed: Big tech’s new datacentres will take water from the world’s driest areas
Merlin Bird ID
Images:
Thermal images in Memphis by Steve Jones/Flight by Southwings for Southern Environmental Law Center
Earthrise - Wikipedia
Donald Trump takes the oath of office (2025) - Wikimedia Commons
OLIGARCHY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Or otherwise taken by the author
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Want more? Check out some of the pieces that we have published or contributed research or thoughts to in the last week:
Democrats at Law Firms That Surrendered to Trump
Corruption Calendar Week 16: The Grift That Keeps On Giving
We Can’t Count on Trump’s SEC to Tell Us If He Is Manipulating the Market
Revolving Door Project Executive Director Testifies About Trump Family Crypto Corruption
The jumbo jet gift from Qatar is a deal for the president, not the American people
Trump’s Middle East trip marked by potential private business conflicts
Why the “Abundance Agenda” Could Sink the Democratic Party
New data, maps provide ‘rare window’ into scale of homeowner’s insurance crisis
Democrats Woke Up to Trump's Crypto Grift. Will They Stop Other Scammers?
Everything's fine until it isn't: Lessons from NYC's fiscal crisis
Democrats Cave, Prepare to Rubber-Stamp Trump Crypto Corruption
For me, the visual organization was very helpful. The format was organized around specific themes, which were enhanced by the style. It captured the nub of important points well. I appreciate that you provided voiceover for those who need screen readers. Seems like a worthy effort and excellent for relatively short pieces. That is not as text heavy as traditional ways, making it accessible to those who need a different format.
Thanks, that was great! I love your detailed and substantive critiques, but occasionally zooming out like this for a wider view is good for my mental health. Clearly articulating a massive problem helps one better understand one's own relationship to it.