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Silicon Empires: The Fight for the Future of AI
Since the emergence of ChatGPT, generative AI has been heralded as a technology poised to revolutionize our world. But beyond the hype and hyperbole, who truly wields power over this transformative technology?
In Silicon Empires, Nick Srnicek explores the geopolitical economy of artificial intelligence, revealing how a handful of powerful corporations and states are engaged in a monumental struggle to control its future. Srnicek moves beyond the headlines to lay bare the elaborate strategies that these silicon empires—from tech giants to great powers—are deploying to capture the immense value of AI.
This incisive analysis uncovers the deep-seated tensions between corporate ambitions and national interests, and the profound consequences of this new era of technological competition. As the race for AI supremacy accelerates, Srnicek compellingly demonstrates that the decisions being made in the boardrooms of Silicon Valley and the halls of government will shape the distribution of wealth and power on a global scale for decades to come.
This book is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the critical battle for the future of AI.
In Silicon Empires, Nick Srnicek explores the geopolitical economy of artificial intelligence, revealing how a handful of powerful corporations and states are engaged in a monumental struggle to control its future. Srnicek moves beyond the headlines to lay bare the elaborate strategies that these silicon empires—from tech giants to great powers—are deploying to capture the immense value of AI.
This incisive analysis uncovers the deep-seated tensions between corporate ambitions and national interests, and the profound consequences of this new era of technological competition. As the race for AI supremacy accelerates, Srnicek compellingly demonstrates that the decisions being made in the boardrooms of Silicon Valley and the halls of government will shape the distribution of wealth and power on a global scale for decades to come.
This book is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the critical battle for the future of AI.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published January 8, 2026
3 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Nick Srnicek
28 books165 followersNick Srnicek is an American writer and academic. He is currently a lecturer in Digital Economy at King's College London.
Born in 1982, Srnicek took a double major in Psychology and Philosophy before completing an MA at the University of Western Ontario in 2007. He proceeded to a PhD at the London School of Economics, completing his thesis in 2013 on "Representing complexity: the material construction of world politics". He has worked as a Visiting Lecturer at City University and the University of Westminster.
Srnicek is associated with the political theory of accelerationism and a post-scarcity economy.
Born in 1982, Srnicek took a double major in Psychology and Philosophy before completing an MA at the University of Western Ontario in 2007. He proceeded to a PhD at the London School of Economics, completing his thesis in 2013 on "Representing complexity: the material construction of world politics". He has worked as a Visiting Lecturer at City University and the University of Westminster.
Srnicek is associated with the political theory of accelerationism and a post-scarcity economy.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy
This is a gangbusters book, and an urgently needed one at that. For the gangs -- megabucks tech corporations in alliance with political classes –- are on a roll. Their Next Big Thing is artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that for some observers poses extinction risks on a par with those of nuclear war and deadly epidemics, while for others a technology that heralds a world freed from drudgery and disease.
In contrast to the breathless hype filling business pages about AI, and the pumping up of share price bubbles, this book takes a longer view of AI's political economy. It casts its light on the interests and alliances at work and the means – political, legislative, regulatory, infrastructural and of course financial – greasing the skids for AI and thus powering further upward redistribution of wealth. Political consequences – the Trump mob as Exhibit A – are today at hand. Political sociology is one of the book’s strenghts; it names the names and recounts the rivalries, ructions and about-faces among the billionaires.
The book surveys corporate strategies and competition in terms of four layers – hardware (chiefly chips); infrastructure (data centres and their massive claims on energy, water and land); models (today involving hundreds of transformer architectures and their ecosystems); and applications (user-oriented programmes such as ChatGPT). It compares differing corporate approaches, such as those working to integrate some or all four layers in vertical, quasi-monopolistic patterns (seen chiefly in the West) or, in contrast, those working to diffuse or decentralize them (seen today in China).
It touches on the rising alliance of AI and military/security branches of the state, thus moving attention beyond mere profit-seeking into coercive realms in which investors and their money are no longer essential. A striking assertion is that where once they hinged on containing the Soviet Union, today’s geopolitics are “driven more by the pursuit of control over strategic hubs in global networks.” In these, AI works as a major pivot and dynamo.
Readers poorly-versed in digital technologies and their idioms may stumble (as I did) over some terms like ‘inference-compute’ and ‘distillation’. But in large part the author uses clear and engaging prose, backed by formidable footnoted research, to explain thngs that can be devilishly complex and that continue to evolve rapidly.
Overall this is an accessible, timely and instructive book.
In contrast to the breathless hype filling business pages about AI, and the pumping up of share price bubbles, this book takes a longer view of AI's political economy. It casts its light on the interests and alliances at work and the means – political, legislative, regulatory, infrastructural and of course financial – greasing the skids for AI and thus powering further upward redistribution of wealth. Political consequences – the Trump mob as Exhibit A – are today at hand. Political sociology is one of the book’s strenghts; it names the names and recounts the rivalries, ructions and about-faces among the billionaires.
The book surveys corporate strategies and competition in terms of four layers – hardware (chiefly chips); infrastructure (data centres and their massive claims on energy, water and land); models (today involving hundreds of transformer architectures and their ecosystems); and applications (user-oriented programmes such as ChatGPT). It compares differing corporate approaches, such as those working to integrate some or all four layers in vertical, quasi-monopolistic patterns (seen chiefly in the West) or, in contrast, those working to diffuse or decentralize them (seen today in China).
It touches on the rising alliance of AI and military/security branches of the state, thus moving attention beyond mere profit-seeking into coercive realms in which investors and their money are no longer essential. A striking assertion is that where once they hinged on containing the Soviet Union, today’s geopolitics are “driven more by the pursuit of control over strategic hubs in global networks.” In these, AI works as a major pivot and dynamo.
Readers poorly-versed in digital technologies and their idioms may stumble (as I did) over some terms like ‘inference-compute’ and ‘distillation’. But in large part the author uses clear and engaging prose, backed by formidable footnoted research, to explain thngs that can be devilishly complex and that continue to evolve rapidly.
Overall this is an accessible, timely and instructive book.
December 29, 2025
Silicon Empires looks at how today’s tech giants—Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft—became so powerful, and how their dominance is tied to data, platforms, and modern capitalism. Nick Srnicek walks through the economic and political logic behind platform companies, explaining why they don’t just sell products but shape entire ecosystems that the rest of us depend on. In audio form, the book feels like a guided tour of the hidden architecture of Big Tech.
What I really liked is how clear and structured the arguments are. Srnicek has a talent for taking abstract ideas—like platform economics, monopoly power, and data extraction—and making them understandable without dumbing them down. As an audiobook, it works surprisingly well because the ideas build logically, and you can follow the big picture even while listening casually.
That said, the audiobook can feel dense at times. This isn’t something you half-listen to while completely distracted; some sections benefit from real attention, especially when he dives into economic theory. I also found myself wishing for more concrete, up-to-the-minute examples to complement the broader analysis.
Overall, Silicon Empires is a smart, thoughtful listen if you’re curious about why Big Tech looks the way it does today. It’s not flashy or sensational, but it’s sharp, grounded, and rewarding—especially if you like understanding systems, power, and the long-term implications of technology beyond the headlines.
What I really liked is how clear and structured the arguments are. Srnicek has a talent for taking abstract ideas—like platform economics, monopoly power, and data extraction—and making them understandable without dumbing them down. As an audiobook, it works surprisingly well because the ideas build logically, and you can follow the big picture even while listening casually.
That said, the audiobook can feel dense at times. This isn’t something you half-listen to while completely distracted; some sections benefit from real attention, especially when he dives into economic theory. I also found myself wishing for more concrete, up-to-the-minute examples to complement the broader analysis.
Overall, Silicon Empires is a smart, thoughtful listen if you’re curious about why Big Tech looks the way it does today. It’s not flashy or sensational, but it’s sharp, grounded, and rewarding—especially if you like understanding systems, power, and the long-term implications of technology beyond the headlines.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
At the risk of sounding dry and repetitive, this book truly exceeded my expectations before reading it.
The title and the brief synopsis are just an introduction to a truly interesting and comprehensive topic with a surprising amount of information that will take me a while to digest. It is obvious that the author has devoted himself exceptionally to all aspects of this topic to such an extent that I was surprised by the scope of the information presented and the views on the topic from various aspects.
Only now do I feel inadequate with the level of my knowledge on this topic, to which I received many answers, but it also left me in a state of deep reflection and unrest about everything I read in this book.
I am deeply grateful to the author Nick Srnicek for his exceptional work on this book, and to RD media for the approved ALC copy of this book, which I can sincerely recommend.
The title and the brief synopsis are just an introduction to a truly interesting and comprehensive topic with a surprising amount of information that will take me a while to digest. It is obvious that the author has devoted himself exceptionally to all aspects of this topic to such an extent that I was surprised by the scope of the information presented and the views on the topic from various aspects.
Only now do I feel inadequate with the level of my knowledge on this topic, to which I received many answers, but it also left me in a state of deep reflection and unrest about everything I read in this book.
I am deeply grateful to the author Nick Srnicek for his exceptional work on this book, and to RD media for the approved ALC copy of this book, which I can sincerely recommend.
January 21, 2026
Everyone who wants to read this, read Platform Capitalism first, it’ll give you a much needed foundation for what large tech has been doing behind the scenes for the past few decades.
However, this book functions here and now, and tries to consolidate the fast pacing and ever changing global, national, and private sector strategies and political cultures that are arising and often contradict. Some of the info in this book is already out dated but a lot of it holds true. Although a bit brief in some areas on who controls what, and why certain companies/countries do what they do, it’s still a great overview of contemporary global relationships.
A must read for both the pro and anti AI crowd. I’ll be picking up a physical copy to read again and take notes.
However, this book functions here and now, and tries to consolidate the fast pacing and ever changing global, national, and private sector strategies and political cultures that are arising and often contradict. Some of the info in this book is already out dated but a lot of it holds true. Although a bit brief in some areas on who controls what, and why certain companies/countries do what they do, it’s still a great overview of contemporary global relationships.
A must read for both the pro and anti AI crowd. I’ll be picking up a physical copy to read again and take notes.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews