Tech Won't Save Us

The Corruption of Open Source w/ tante

Paris Marx is joined by tante to discuss troubling developments in the open source world as Wordpress goes to war with WP Engine and a new definition of open source AI doesn’t require being open about training data. tante is a sociotechnologist, writer, speaker, and Luddite working on tech and its social impact. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus">Patreon</a>. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode:tante wrote about <a href="https://tante.cc/2024/10/16/does-open-source-ai-really-exist/">the problem</a> with the Open Source Initiative’s definition of open source AI.Check out this link for <a href="https://gist.github.com/adrienne/aea9dd7ca19c8985157d9c42f7fc225d">the full breakdown</a> on the Wordpress drama.Wordpress <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/27/24256361/wordpress-wp-engine-drama-explained-matt-mullenweg">changed its trademark guidelines</a> on September 19 regarding the use of the WP abbreviation.Tumblr and Wordpress started <a href="https://www.404media.co/tumblr-and-wordpress-to-sell-users-data-to-train-ai-tools/">selling user data for AI training</a> earlier this year.A lot of the <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/famed-computer-scientist-richard-stallman-described-epstein-victims-as-entirely-willing/">controversy around Richard Stallman</a> started blowing up in 2019.<a href="https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus" rel="payment">Support the show</a>

Silicon Valley wants to shape our future, but why should we let it? Every Thursday, Paris Marx is joined by a new guest to critically examine the tech industry, its big promises, and the people behind them. Tech Won’t Save Us challenges the notion that tech alone can drive our world forward by showing that separating tech from politics has consequences for us all, especially the most vulnerable. It’s not your usual tech podcast.