CDH online lecture: Nick Srnicek on Silicon Empires
This lecture is part of the three-part series Digital Humanities in Times of Geopolitical Turmoil.
From microchips to chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI) lies at the heart of today’s geopolitical tensions. Behind every AI system is a complex web of global dependencies. As trade wars unfold and nations race toward technological sovereignty, AI becomes increasingly entangled with geopolitical forces. This lecture series explores how digital humanities can help us navigate this rapidly changing landscape.
Other lectures in this series include:
Rafael Grohmann on Latin American Critical AI Studies
Ana Valdivia on Following the thing AI: from ecological ruinations to ecofeminist imaginations
In this talk, Nick Srnicek, Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy at King’s College, London, will uncover the deep economic and geopolitical logics underpinning current transformations, and the implications they have for the future of AI.
We have moved from a period of relative harmony – where globalisation, innovation, and minimal regulation fostered a symbiotic relationship – to an interregnum defined by escalating geopolitical tensions, especially between the US and China, and a shift from neoliberal ideals to a landscape saturated with geo-economic machinations. Srnicek will explore how changing elite interests and intense capitalist competition have dismantled the old order, giving rise to new tech-state formations.
These dynamics are forging new ‘Silicon Empires’, each with distinct strategies for AI dominance. The US, leveraging its abundance in chips, capital, and talent, is racing toward artificial general intelligence. Meanwhile China, constrained by the ongoing trade war, increasingly focuses on embedding AI across a wide range of industries. These two countries are in an intense competition to expand AI infrastructure, secure critical resources — data, energy, capital — and strategically block rivals. The result is a potential AI arms race, the reshaping of global supply chains, and the rise of ‘hemispherical tech stacks’ that could fragment our digital world.
Practical information
This online lecture will take place on Thursday 9 October, from 15:30 to 16:30 hours, via a Teams webinar. A link to join will be sent to al registrants before the event. You can sign up via the registration form at the bottom of this page. Participation is free of charge.
Level
No prior knowledge or experience in digital humanities is required. The lecture will be held in English.
For whom?
This online lecture is open to all interested in the lecture topic or the work of Nick Srnicek.
About
Nick Srnicek is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy at King’s College London. His research focuses on the digital economy, monopolisation, artificial intelligence, and anti-work politics. Since 2023, he has co-founded and directed the Digital Economy MSc programme at KCL. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds an honorary professorship from the University of Buenos Aires.
His books include Silicon Empires (Polity, 2025), After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time (Verso, 2023 with Helen Hester), Platform Capitalism (Polity, 2016), and Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work (Verso, 2015 with Alex Williams).
Registration
To sign up, please complete the registration form below. If you are unable to attend after registering, kindly email cdh@uu.nl to cancel. Thank you for your cooperation.