Silicon Empires, Redux

Dr Nick Srnicek analyses AGI, the AI boom, and work, via political economy.

A. The University of Melbourne’s Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston a noted marine ecologist has passed away from cancer. Professor Michael Wesley is the University’s Acting Vice-Chancellor. Professor Wesley has authored Mind of the Nation: Universities in Australian Life (Bundoora, Australia: La Trobe University Press, 2023) and the forthcoming Quarterly Essay On Australia and Asia which is out on 16th March 2026.

B. Nick Srnicek’s new book Silicon Empires: The Fight For the Future of AI (Cambridge and Hoboken, NJ: Polity Press, 2026) is out in its Kindle edition. The paperback version is out on 6th February 2026. The book is a political economy informed approach to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other AGI tools. Here is Dr Srnicek on AI, Capitalism and the Future of Work.

C. Jeff Chang has a new biography on the Jeet Kun Do martial artist and film star Bruce Lee. The New York Times has reviewed the book. Here is Chang on his cultural history of Lee.

D. Today’s MIT OCW free course is on the Art of Colour created by Dr Peter Dourmashkin.

E. Director Laura Poitras on her new Netflix documentary about journalist Seymour (Sy) Hersh.

F. MotherJones staff select the best 24 books that they have read in 2025.

G. Isolation is a theme of movies in 2025.

H. The Atlanic’s Benjamin Cannon selects the 20 best podcasts of 2025.

I. Inside the Australian Senate’s inquiry into the higher education sector and quality assurance in universities.

J. Prop firms are arbitraging retail traders via simulated markets - using a market-making model that takes the other side when they decide to trade real money (and usually “blow up” their accounts).

K. The Guardian on fiction and non-fiction forthcoming in 2026.

L. An evening with author Ray Bradbury in 2001.

M. David Bowie’s Montreaux live show on 18th July 2002.

N. A lecture on Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince and Renaissance Italy from Dr Michael Sugrue.

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