How to burst the AI bubble: Strike at its roots

Tech journalist Cory Doctorow argues in his new book that the AI industry is built on hype and unsustainable spending rather than practical applications, comparing it to previous tech bubbles but on a much larger scale. He distinguishes between using AI as a helpful tool, which he supports, and replacing workers with AI systems while maintaining human accountability for errors, which he views as creating exploitative arrangements. Doctorow contends that major tech firms are heavily invested in promoting AI narratives to appear as growth stocks rather than mature companies, and that this bubble will eventually collapse when investors realize the economics do not support the current spending levels. The book serves as a follow-up to his previous work on how firms without constraints tend toward harmful outcomes, applying similar logic to understand why powerful people find AI appealing despite its practical limitations.