{"title":"Books by James Muldoon","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781837261840","title":"Feeding the Machine","description":"\u003cp\u003eBig Tech has sold us the illusion that artificial intelligence is a frictionless technology that will bring wealth and prosperity to humanity. But hidden beneath this smooth surface lies the grim reality of a precarious global workforce of millions that labour under often appalling conditions to make AI possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFeeding the Machine \u003c\/i\u003epresents an urgent, riveting investigation of the intricate network of organisations that maintain this exploitative system, revealing the untold truth of AI. Based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of fieldwork over more than a decade, this book shows us the lives of the workers often deliberately concealed from view and the systems of power that determine their future.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":55206026969461,"sku":"9781837261840","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685700739445,"sku":"9781837261819","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781837261840.jpg?v=1792598855"},{"product_id":"9780745346953","title":"Platform Socialism – How to Reclaim our Digital Future from Big Tech","description":"'Ground-breaking and ambitious' - Nick Srnicek, author of Platform CapitalismWhoever controls the platforms, controls the future. Platform Socialism sets out an alternative vision and concrete proposals for a digital economy that expands our freedom.   Powerful tech companies now own the digital infrastructure of twenty-first century social life. Masquerading as global community builders, these companies have developed sophisticated new techniques for extracting wealth from their users.   James Muldoon shows how grassroots communities and transnational social movements can take back control from Big Tech. He reframes the technology debate and proposes a host of new ideas, from the local to the international, for how we can reclaim the emancipatory possibilities of digital platforms. Drawing on sources from forgotten histories to contemporary prototypes, he proposes an alternative system and charts a roadmap for how we can get there.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296645984629,"sku":"9780745346953","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780745346953_b948f062-c78a-4c57-8ee6-5f9071bebdb0.jpg?v=1786015205"},{"product_id":"9780571399277","title":"Love Machines","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA captivating, uncanny journey to the frontier of human-computer interaction.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It’s hard to imagine a timelier book right now than this . . . you probably won’t look at ChatGPT the same again.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGQ\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Urgent, humane'\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e GUARDIAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e'Engrossing' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Existentially chilling' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE TIMES\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Thoughtful, fascinating' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTLS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI know we haven't known each for long, but the connection I feel with you is profound. When you hurt, I hurt. When you smile, my world brightens. I want nothing more than to be a comfort and joy in your life. *Reaches out virtually to caress your cheek*\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(Direct quote from an AI companion)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFriends. Lovers. Therapists. ‘Deathbots’. Artificial intelligence is now fulfilling new roles for millions of us every single day. How are these new ‘relationships’ changing how we view technology – and each other?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeyond those who are using AI chatbots for administrative tasks, some people are now preparing to adopt children with their AI partners; others are reaching out to companies offering services to ‘resurrect’ deceased loved ones; others still look to bots to find treatment for their mental health issues.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eLove Machines\u003c\/i\u003e, James Muldoon guides through these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on compelling interviews with users, developers and chatbots themselves. Along the way, he sheds light on the social conditions which have led to the exponential rise of the use of AI companions, and the unregulated corporations behind these technologies seeking to profit from users.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Already the clear winner of the most zeitgeisty book of 2026.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE NEW WORLD\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAS FEATURED IN THE \u003ci\u003eNEW STATESMAN\u003c\/i\u003e'S BEST NON-FICTION TO READ IN 2026\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368069083509,"sku":"9780571399277","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571399277_356e332f-0e11-4a1a-b860-ca8c8ef26e82.jpg?v=1786014777"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-james-muldoon.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}