Silicon Valley: the crisis of progressive utopianism

This article is published in issue 47 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until November 19, 2024.

Elon Musk’s decisive influence in Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 elections marks the point of no return of an epochal transformation: the crisis of progressive utopianism that has characterized Silicon Valley since its birth. This is not just another case of a billionaire supporting conservative policies to protect his own interests. What we are witnessing is the reversal of the ideology that has shaped the American tech industry for decades.

Silicon Valley, in fact, was born from the meeting between Californian counterculture and technological innovation. Its founders dreamed of a more open and democratic world, where technology would free individuals from traditional hierarchies. This liberal-progressive vision permeated the first decades of the digital age, from the hacker ethic to the dream of a decentralized internet, from sharing economy to the promise of globalization from below. But something is broken: Musk’s alignment with Trump is not an isolated case, but the most evident symbol of how the tech elite is embracing a new paradigm, hostile towards the progressivism that had been its DNA. This ideological about-face reveals an uncomfortable truth: for many, the utopianism of early Silicon Valley was less a commitment to progressive values ​​than a narrative that served the industry’s growth phase. When the internet was young and had to conquer the world, the language of individual freedom and empowerment was perfect for seducing users and regulators. Now that big tech has become the most powerful monopolies in history, that same libertarian rhetoric is being turned against democratic institutions.

Having achieved a position of absolute dominance, the technological elite no longer feels the need to mask their authoritarian impulses behind a progressive facade. Musk’s support for Trump is therefore not a betrayal of Silicon Valley ideals, but the revelation of their instrumental nature.

This transformation has profound cultural implications. For decades, Silicon Valley has been seen as the vanguard of a more progressive and inclusive future. Now it is revealing itself as the birthplace of a new kind of conservatism, combining the power of digital platforms with an increasingly radically right-wing political agenda. It is a turning point that forces us to rethink not only the political role of technology, but the entire narrative of digital progress. At stake are the unresolved contradictions at the heart of American techno-capitalism: between innovation and monopoly, decentralization and control, individual freedom and corporate power. The tech elite today finds itself divided between different visions of the future, with some (few) maintaining the original reformist spirit while others (many), like Musk, veer towards authoritarian positions.
Support for Trump is not the inevitable destination of a predetermined path, but the symptom of a profound identity crisis in the American technology sector. On which the future of humanity depends.

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