E101: Wokeism & Class w/ David Sacks, Trump’s AI Czar [Upstream Archive]

"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

In this 2023 conversation between Erik Torenberg and David Sacks, they discuss David’s new role as Donald Trump's AI and crypto czar, the shift towards censorship and wokeness in Silicon Valley, particularly at companies like PayPal and Twitter, and the broader implications for free speech, public debate, and the future of liberalism. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/e55b5666-67b9-4c2a-8968-943cee9f0466

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X / TWITTER:

@davidsacks

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:34) Discussion of PayPal's evolution and tech industry changes

(01:08) Early days of PayPal and free speech values

(02:28) The role of ADL and SPLC in tech censorship

(03:39) Changes in Silicon Valley's political culture

(06:39) Government collusion with tech companies

(08:45) Evolution of Silicon Valley's political landscape

(13:54) Discussion of institutional capture

(17:20) Analysis of democratic capitalism's evolution

(22:34) Sponsors: Incogni | Squad

(24:20) Discussion of tech monopolies and regulation

(28:09) Analysis of section 230 and tech regulation

(32:55) Foreign policy evolution and interventionism

(37:18) Discussion of institutional reform

(42:37) Analysis of tech company management

(46:28) Elon Musk's Twitter reforms

(50:28) Future of tech industry and political polarization

(54:40) Discussion of counter-elite formation

(58:50) Solutions for institutional accountability

(01:15:48) Wrap-up and closing remarks