Technology
Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?
Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.
Written by: Emma Garland
“Welcome to the Useless Class”: Ewan Morrison in conversation with Irvine Welsh
For Emma — Ahead of the Scottish author’s new novel, he sat down with Irvine Welsh for an in-depth discussion of its dystopic themes, and the upcoming AI “tsunami”.
Written by: Irvine Welsh
We need socialism to fix our broken internet
Ben Tarnoff discusses his new book, which calls for a radical restructuring of the internet to address its harm to society.
Written by: Becca Inglis
The fight to amplify Black stories on BookTok
New chapter — As TikTok continues to transform book sales, Black BookTokers are calling for greater inclusivity both on the app and the publishing industry at large.
Written by: Tife Sanusi
The technology police are using to target minorities
Surveillance state — FoIs obtained by Huck reveal a sharp increase in police fingerprint scanners, with Black and minority ethnic communities more likely to be scanned than their white counterparts.
Written by: Jack Barton
Disabled benefits claimants are being unfairly investigated
Cruel system — The government is using an algorithm forcing people into gruelling and invasive benefit fraud investigations. Now, disabled people who claim they have been unfairly targeted are mounting a fight back.
Written by: Anna Dent
The young people plunged into debt by borrowing apps
‘It put me in a dark place‘ — With young people bearing the brunt of economic precarity, many are now turning to cash advance apps to get by.
Written by: Chloé Meley
TikTokers are using secret hashtags to discuss self-harm
Under the radar — The hashtag #selfharm is censored on TikTok, but that hasn’t stopped users from speaking out about their experiences. While the platform needs to do more to keep young people safe from triggering content, experts stress that the problem runs much deeper than social media.
Written by: Serena Smith
The dystopian megacities of anime architecture
Brave new world — A new book celebrating the creative process behind Japan's animated cityscapes offers both architectural escapism and bold imaginings of a near future.
Written by: Gunseli Yalcinkaya
The young hackers transforming rural China
Blockchain Chicken Farm — In their new book, author and technologist Xiaowei Wang meets the residents of a place often left out of Silicon Valley narratives who are building their own high-tech future.
Written by: Josh Gabert-Doyon
A guide to unplugging from capitalism (for sanity's sake)
Doing nothing, finding everything — Technology’s grip on our attention span is grinding us down, sapping us of life. But artist and writer Jenny Odell has come up with a manifesto for opting out: a mindset where slowing down is the only way to survive.
Written by: Jenny Odell
The creators of Black Mirror want you to stop worrying
Future shock — As creators of the dystopian series Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones have mastered the art of depicting society at its most anxiety-inducing. But when it comes to the future, the pair aren’t ready to panic just yet.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray