Cory Doctorow Discusses 'Enshittification' and 'Reverse Centaurs' in AI Development and Governance at Berkman Klein Center Event
Author and activist Cory Doctorow participated in a conversation at the Berkman Klein Center, focusing on the concepts of 'enshittification' and 'reverse centaurs' in the context of AI development and governance. Doctorow, who coined 'enshittification' to describe the decay of digital platforms, discussed how AI and digital systems, despite promising a friction-free future, often rely on hidden human labor, powerful corporate interests, and business models that exploit users. He was joined by Dr. Elizabeth Mynatt, Dean of Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, who offered a human-centered computing perspective. Their discussion explored the structural, economic, and human stakes of this reversal, where humans become infrastructure for automated systems rather than beneficiaries.
