Billionaire tech investor Marc Andreessen recently published a manifesto for “techno-optimism,” a worldview that contends technology will solve all of humanity’s problems and create a world of infinite abundance for all. Andreessen’s manifesto is so extreme that it has been heavily criticized even in the tech sector. It accuses anyone who opposes the unrestricted development of AI of having blood on their hands (since AI will save lives, meaning that if you slow down its development, you are essentially a murderer).
Andreessen’s manifesto comes across as unhinged and manic. It is, in fact, more a religious catechism than a “manifesto.” It is filled with “We believe” assertions that lay out the core of the Techno-Optimist faith. For example:
- “We believe in accelerationism – the conscious and deliberate propulsion of technological development – to ensure the fulfillment of the Law of Accelerating Returns. To ensure the techno-capital upward spiral continues forever.”
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Are any of these beliefs substantiated by actual evidence? Do we get convincing proof, or even substantive argument, that “human wants and needs are infinite” or that every single material problem can be solved by technology? No. All we get is assertion, even around highly dubious claims about human nature and the workings of free markets.
