Episode #186 - Are we heading for a digital prison?
Are we heading for a digital prison?
This episode explores how Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon—a prison design based on constant, unseen surveillance—inspired Michel Foucault’s theory of modern social control, where institutions shape behavior through internalized norms. It draws a parallel to today’s algorithm-driven systems, which monitor individuals, shape their choices, and influence thought. Philosopher Stephen Cave’s idea of a “freedom quotient” frames how AI may restrict our agency by limiting our options, distorting decision-making, and dulling our will—creating a digital panopticon we may not realize we live inside.
Further Reading:
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff (2019)
The Black Box Society by Frank Pasquale (2015)
Dragnet Nation by Julia Angwin (2014)
See the full transcript here.
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