From Sci-Fi Dreams to Tech Disillusionment: AI, Robot Dogs and the Cost of Innovation

An artist reflects on growing up inspired by futuristic technology—and becoming increasingly frustrated by capitalism, militarization and the decline of social media.

Remembering the First YouTube Ads

Oh yeah.

I remember the day I came home from school, went to my friend’s house across the street, saw my first YouTube ad and thought, “What the heck?” As a teenager, I was so pissed off about commercials on YouTube.

How Technology Changed From a Source of Hope to a Cause for Disillusionment

When we first talked about you doing these cover songs, I remember you saying that you grew up watching the tech industry and thinking, “This is amazing. These people are doing great things. They’re saving the world. They’re trying to change things for the better.” Obviously, over the years you’ve become very disillusioned, disappointed and angry about that idea. A great many people share that opinion. Can you tell us more about what interested you in technology when you were younger and how that has changed?

As a child, I was obsessed with science fiction and fantasy. The Matrix, Alien and anything futuristic—I loved it. I loved Ghost in the Shell and the integration of technology with organic things. I think a lot of that comes from being a bored hillbilly kid.

Turning Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Into Comedy

In the show I’m doing, I perform an impression of Boston Dynamics’ robot dog. I say to the audience, “Okay, I’m going to give you my thoughts, so let me know what you think, and you can say it out loud.” Then I pull my shirt over my head and walk around the stage on all fours. I keep bumping into the microphone stand and knocking it over.

Usually, someone says something like “DARPA dog” or “Boston Dynamics robot dog,” and that’s really funny.

These are very specific references.

I would be happy if people who understood those references came to my live shows. But I’ll go on with this long tearjerker about how excited I was as a kid about a future where artificial intelligence existed, self-driving cars existed and robot animals roamed among us.

When Futuristic Technology Becomes a Tool of War

But there is also disillusionment when you realize that capitalism makes everything worse. Capitalism exposes fraudsters. It reveals corruption and shows how quickly people abandon their professed morality in order to make money or gain fame.

When companies develop robots that can truly harm humans, they promise not to use them in combat. We see them using robot dogs in Gaza. They are seen experimenting with this technology in combat situations. I think “combat” is a generous term, considering it was complete genocide.

There is currently no way to reconcile it. It makes me lose faith in this community, which I’ve always seen as inherently progressive because it is based on science and is therefore inherently progressive.

Capitalism, Innovation and the Decline of Social Media

I think the idea behind capitalism is to create aggressive competition and drive innovation. But once someone figures out the best way to provide something, someone else buys that company, takes it away from everyone and gives us an even worse version of what was good before.

I feel like we used to have good social media. Before, we had social media without ads or algorithms. We looked at things chronologically. In moderation, it’s good for your brain. You can learn.