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THE AI CON
The biggest tech story of our time may be a carefully constructed illusion. This microbook unpacks how 'artificial intelligence' became a marketing label, who profits from the confusion, and what real harms are already unfolding — from wrongful arrests to exploited workers. Clear-eyed and urgent, it gives you the tools to question the hype.
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Who it is for
For anyone who feels pressured to adopt AI tools without fully understanding them, or who suspects the promises sound too big — and wants honest, grounded answers instead of more breathless headlines.
About the Author
Alex Hanna is a sociologist and Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), where she studies how data in computational technologies can create or reinforce biases around social class, race, and gender. A former Senior Research Scientist on Google's Ethical AI team, she was named one of the '100 Brilliant Women in Artificial Intelligence Ethics' in 2021. She is co-author of 'The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want'.
View author profileLessons
- Understand why 'artificial intelligence' is a marketing label, not a technical reality.
- Discover how ghost workers and stolen data quietly power the AI industry's polished facade.
- Learn to ask the right questions to puncture hype before it shapes decisions that affect your life.
Key Takeaways
- Large language models are statistical prediction tools, not thinking machines — they generate plausible text without any understanding of meaning.
- The loudest debates about AI's future dangers serve as a distraction from documented harms happening to real people right now.
- Collective refusal — through unions, professional associations, and informed citizens — is a proven and available tool against harmful AI deployments.
More knowledge in less time
Listen to the key ideas
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