Machines Like Us S1E8 — How to Hack Democracy

July 30, 2024

Silicon Valley has always been driven by libertarian sensibilities and an optimistic view of technology. But the radical techno-optimism of people like Andreesen, and billionaire entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, has morphed into something more extreme. In their view, technology and government are always at odds with one another.

But if that’s true, then how do you explain someone like Audrey Tang?

Tang, who, until May of this year, was Taiwan’s first Minister of Digital Affairs, is unabashedly optimistic about technology. But she’s also a fervent believer in the power of democratic government. To many in Silicon Valley, this is an oxymoron. But Tang doesn’t see it that way. To her, technology and government are – and have always been – symbiotic.

So I wanted to ask her what a technologically enabled democracy might look like – and she has plenty of ideas. This is a conversation about a better, more inclusive form of democracy. And why she thinks technology will get us there.

Just a quick note: we recorded this interview a couple of months ago, while Tang was still the Minister of Digital Affairs.