About the Book: Prizewinning historian Jill Lepore examines how technology, data and artificial intelligence have transformed—and often undermined—democracy and modern society. Tracing the rise of what she calls the “Artificial State,” Lepore explores political algorithms, corporate control of public discourse, robot rights, Elon Musk’s origins, data centres and the growing influence of AI on government and power. Challenging the idea that technological change is inevitable, this compelling work combines history, politics, technology and social criticism to reveal how machine-driven systems emerged and how societies can challenge them to build a more democratic future.