The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State
Will be published approx. on 25. August 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-241-83655-2 (ISBN)
Description
It presented itself as a form of futurism. But the future envisioned by the architects of the Artificial State looked, chillingly, like the very worst of the past...
We live in the age of data. Over the past century, rapidly evolving technologies have transformed every aspect of our society, in troubling and seemingly unstoppable ways. Political campaigns have been reduced to attention-mining algorithms, multinational corporations control public discourse, and the era of the liberal nation-state seems to be coming to an end, replaced by the rule of artificial intelligence. Today, power is maintained through mystification: machines, we are told, know what humans cannot. Yet nothing about any of this was, or is, inevitable.
In this astounding account of how technology has corroded democracy around the world, prizewinning historian Jill Lepore traces the rise and fall of what she calls the 'Artificial State'. Examining everything from robot rights and Elon Musk's origins to what data centres cost wildlife, Lepore offers a history - and a perspective - wholly missing from the debate.
History, Lepore demonstrates, is driven not by machines but by individuals, societies, cultures and ideas. The architects of the Artificial State had no theory of governance, nor did they have any interest in the rule of law, or any capacity for restraint. They drew their ideas not from science, but from science fiction. Yet everything destructive that they have done can be undone. By illuminating the origins of the Artificial State, Lepore reveals how we can escape it - helping us to imagine, and fight for, a different future.
We live in the age of data. Over the past century, rapidly evolving technologies have transformed every aspect of our society, in troubling and seemingly unstoppable ways. Political campaigns have been reduced to attention-mining algorithms, multinational corporations control public discourse, and the era of the liberal nation-state seems to be coming to an end, replaced by the rule of artificial intelligence. Today, power is maintained through mystification: machines, we are told, know what humans cannot. Yet nothing about any of this was, or is, inevitable.
In this astounding account of how technology has corroded democracy around the world, prizewinning historian Jill Lepore traces the rise and fall of what she calls the 'Artificial State'. Examining everything from robot rights and Elon Musk's origins to what data centres cost wildlife, Lepore offers a history - and a perspective - wholly missing from the debate.
History, Lepore demonstrates, is driven not by machines but by individuals, societies, cultures and ideas. The architects of the Artificial State had no theory of governance, nor did they have any interest in the rule of law, or any capacity for restraint. They drew their ideas not from science, but from science fiction. Yet everything destructive that they have done can be undone. By illuminating the origins of the Artificial State, Lepore reveals how we can escape it - helping us to imagine, and fight for, a different future.
Reviews / Votes
There are times when a historian is absolutely necessary for understanding the future--this is one of those times, and Jill Lepore is the perfect person for the job. A fascinating, perceptive and completely timely account of how we got to artificial intelligence and how we might get past it -- Bill McKibben * author of Here Comes the Sun * A person can't help but feel inspired by the riveting intelligence and joyful curiosity of Jill Lepore. Knowing that there is a mind like hers in the world is a hope-inducing thing. -- George Saunders Who's going to determine the future: the tech billionaires or the rest of us? Jill Lepore argues that there's nothing inevitable about eliminating jobs, destroying ecosystems, and arming authoritarian regimes. The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State is at once dazzling in its range and totally on target -- Elizabeth Kolbert Lepore is our best scholar of the culture of governance, and our most vital historian. Here she repudiates the prospect of AI as a replacement for democracy. This is the issue of our times, and Lepore is the voice of sanity -- Jaron Lanier Jill Lepore writes history like a poet -- Dan Snow Lepore is a brilliant historian with an eye for unusual and revealing stories -- James Gleick Jill Lepore is unquestionably one of America's best historians; it's fair to say she's one of its best writers too * Los Angeles Times * Lepore is a sophisticated and original thinker and an ensnaring, witty, and provocative storyteller * Booklist * As both a Jeremiah and a troubadour, Jill Lepore has one of the most distinctive voices in American literary life -- David W. BlightMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
500 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-83655-2 (9780241836552)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jill Lepore
The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
Penguin
€14.99
Not yet available
Person
Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at the New Yorker. Her many books include the international bestseller These Truths: A History of the United States. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.