Don Marti: Reinventing Gosplan

It's time for a dose of horseshoe theory. As right-wing surveillance oligarchies loop back around to left-wing central economic planning, we're seeing a fascinating convergence of ideas.

Cory Doctorow recently wrote about Mark Zuckerberg's latest move to revolutionize advertising with AI. In a bold move, Zuckerberg aims to ask AI to design his advertisers' campaigns, promising devastatingly effective results that will command a premium price for ad space on Meta. This vision represents a top-down approach where the client (Meta) takes care of all aspects of advertising, from generating photos and videos to targeting ads with AI.

The implications of this move are far-reaching and potentially game-changing. With AI handling everything except customer acquisition, the need for a dedicated marketing department could become obsolete. This raises questions about the future of work and how businesses will adapt to this new landscape.

Zuck's Mind-Control Ray: A Vision for Advertising Dominance

But what if Zuckerberg's vision isn't just limited to advertising? What if his mind-control ray technology has a broader impact on companies and industries?

Myles Younger writes that Zuck's plan could lead to an unprecedented level of control by Meta, allowing businesses to dictate the number of units sold with a single setting – the amount of money sent to Meta. This would mean a significant reduction in marketing departments, as their primary function becomes redundant.

The Dark Side of Central Planning

Centrally planned economies have been around for decades, but they often face challenges due to human nature. When individuals are free to make choices and manipulate the system, it can lead to gamesmanship and fudging of numbers.

In surveillance capitalism, we've already seen instances of companies manipulating data and gaming the system. The top-down AI-driven social media story might not be as sinister as some would have you believe, but it still raises concerns about the concentration of power in Meta's hands.

Antitrust Policy for the Conservative

As we navigate this new landscape, antitrust policy becomes increasingly important. FTC Commissioner Mark R. Meador has written a memo on antitrust policy for the conservative movement, which could potentially pave the way for meaningful change.

However, the impact of this memo will be limited by the current political climate, where powerful monopolies can easily avoid regulation by investing in lucrative assets or settling lawsuits at Mar-A-Lago.

The Rise of Generative AI

Generative AI has become a staple of pro-oligarch and surveillance capitalist discourse. Its use is often linked to growth hacking and pro-Big Tech posts on platforms like LinkedIn.

This raises questions about the future of work and how we approach innovation. As AI becomes increasingly prevalent, we need to ensure that it serves humanity's interests rather than reinforcing existing power structures.

Industry Watch: Energy Star and Mozilla Firefox

In other news, industry groups are protesting the demise of Energy Star, a program estimated to save families over $40 billion annually. Meanwhile, Mozilla has made some surprising changes to its terms of use, sparking controversy among users who value data privacy.

Crypto and Surveillance Capitalism

Paul Krugman recently wrote about the ongoing debate surrounding cryptocurrencies. While they have the potential to disrupt traditional financial systems, their primary use remains as a tool for illicit activities.

This highlights the complex relationship between surveillance capitalism and cryptocurrency. As one becomes more prevalent, it's essential to understand how they intersect and impact society as a whole.