Excerpt: In a 54-minute conversation with VPRO's Achter de Frontlinie, Paul Verhagen explores the ideological ambitions of Silicon Valley, the growing political power of Big Tech, and the changing global order.
In an episode of VPRO's Achter de Frontlinie, Paul Verhagen discusses the extraordinary visions of the future emerging from Silicon Valley, where influential technology figures increasingly speak of artificial superintelligence, apocalyptic scenarios and a world transformed beyond recognition by AI.
Drawing on his book The Techtonic Shift, Verhagen examines how these technological ambitions are inseparable from questions of political power. As technology companies gain increasing influence over economies, societies and governments, their decisions are reshaping the international order and challenging the traditional authority of nation-states.
The conversation also takes a more personal turn, exploring Verhagen's Dutch, American and Chinese background and how his relationship with these three identities has changed alongside the geopolitical landscape. Against this backdrop, he discusses Europe's position between the United States and China, and the possibility of rethinking its traditional alliances.
VPRO Achter de Frontlinie, September 6, 2026.