The AI Backlash Nobody Saw Coming
May 15, 2026
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What’s really driving the growing backlash against AI and Silicon Valley?
From burning data centers to celebrating an attack on Sam Altman’s house, the anti‑tech backlash has escalated. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sit down with journalist and author Brian Merchant to unpack the rise of anti AI sentiment, the growing anger toward Big Tech, and why public hostility toward companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google keeps escalating.
We discuss:
Why the AI backlash exploded so quickly
The connection between AI fear and distrust in capitalism
Why people are protesting data centers
The rise of anti tech politics
AI doomers and effective altruism
Sam Altman and Silicon Valley PR failures
Whether AI companies created their own crisis
How automation fears are shaping public opinion
Why people feel powerless against Big Tech
The future of AI regulation and resistance
Brian Merchant is the author of Blood in the Machine, a book about the original Luddites and the history of anti technology movements.
If you’re interested in AI, ChatGPT, Silicon Valley, automation, tech criticism, labor politics, or the future of the internet, we break down the cultural and political forces shaping the AI era.
Subscribe for more interviews and deep dives on AI, internet culture, media, tech, and politics.
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