Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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In her upcoming book “The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State,” Pulitzer-winner Jill Lepore warns that tech companies are increasingly replacing the functions of democratic government. What happens when private corporations take over the basic duties of the state? And will A.I. kill liberal democracy for good? (Guest: Jill Lepore)
Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort. Video production by Paige Osburn.
Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.
Social:
@maryharris on Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/maryharris.bsky.social
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If you love What Next, join Slate Plus at slate.com/youtubeplus?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=link&utm_content=What_Next&utm_campaign=show_description&tpcc=youtube-link-show_description-What_Next to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts.
In her upcoming book “The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State,” Pulitzer-winner Jill Lepore warns that tech companies are increasingly replacing the functions of democratic government. What happens when private corporations take over the basic duties of the state? And will A.I. kill liberal democracy for good? (Guest: Jill Lepore)
Podcast production by Rob Gunther, Evan Campbell, Madeline Thames-Ducharme and Patrick Fort. Video production by Paige Osburn.
Paige Osburn is the senior supervising producer of What Next and What Next TBD.
Social:
@maryharris on Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/maryharris.bsky.social
Note: Captions are auto-generated by YouTube.
Learn more: slate.com/podcasts/what-next
Follow Slate on Social:
Slate on Twitter - twitter.com/Slate
Slate Podcasts on Twitter - twitter.com/SlatePodcasts
Slate on Facebook: facebook.com/slate
Slate on Instagram: instagram.com/slate










