Fatal Abstraction

Digital technology was supposed to change the world for the better, but it has left us miserable, divided, and misinformedwhen it hasnt posed a direct threat to our physical safety. As acclaimed writer Darryl Campbell explains, the problem isnt just greedy CEOs promising to change the world as they seek ever more eyeballs and app downloads. Its that the tech industry struggles to understand what its products actually do and how they might fail. The reason is twofold: an unshakeable faith in managerialismthe notion that every business can be reduced to a spreadsheet overseen by MBAsand an equally strong belief in software as the solution to all problems. From airplane disasters to PowerPoint propaganda to the perils of generative AI, Campbell uncovers a pattern of recklessness and overconfidence in the managerial classand ultimately argues that developers themselves must intervene to curb corporate power.