#512 Douglas Rushkoff | Media Theorist, Author & Host of Team Human episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 13, 2025 · 1H 16M

#512 Douglas Rushkoff | Media Theorist, Author & Host of Team Human

from On the Way to New Work - Der Podcast über neue Arbeit · host Christoph Magnussen & Michael Trautmann

Our guest today is one of the most influential and provocative media theorists of our time. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in English and theater, earned a Master of Fine Arts in Directing at CalArts, and went on to teach media theory and digital economics at renowned institutions like NYU and Queens College. Over the past three decades, he’s shaped the global conversation around technology, culture, and the future of society. He coined terms like “viral media,” “digital natives,” and “social currency.” His bestsellers, including Survival of the Richest, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, and Present Shock, are foundational texts for anyone questioning how technology shapes power, identity, and human agency. He’s not only an academic and author, but also a cultural force. From making FRONTLINE documentaries for PBS like Merchants of Cool and Generation Like, to hosting the influential Team Human podcast, to advising global institutions, his message remains urgent: in a world being automated and optimized, we must double down on being human. He also is Co-Founder of Andus, an AI consultancy. Since launching this podcast over eight years ago, we’ve spoken to more than 600 people in over 500 episodes about how work can empower rather than diminish us and what still needs to change. How can we resist the seductive narratives of techno-solutionism and instead embrace a more human-centered, collective path forward? What do the survival fantasies of some of the world’s wealthiest technologists reveal about our current system and how do we push back against that logic? And why is it more important than ever to reclaim agency not only over our tools, but over our values, our communities, and our shared future? One thing is clear: tackling today’s challenges requires fresh perspectives. That’s why we continue to search for ideas, people, methods, tools, and stories that bring us closer to the core of New Work. And of course, we always come back to the same question: can everyone really find and live what they really, really want? You're listening to On the Way to New Work, today with Douglas Rushkoff. [Hier](https://linktr.ee/onthewaytonewwork) findet ihr alle Links zum Podcast und unseren aktuellen Werbepartnern

Our guest today is one of the most influential and provocative media theorists of our time. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in English and theater, earned a Master of Fine Arts in Directing at CalArts, and went on to teach media theory and digital economics at renowned institutions like NYU and Queens College. Over the past three decades, he’s shaped the global conversation around technology, culture, and the future of society. He coined terms like “viral media,” “digital natives,” and “social currency.” His bestsellers, including Survival of the Richest, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, and Present Shock, are foundational texts for anyone questioning how technology shapes power, identity, and human agency. He’s not only an academic and author, but also a cultural force. From making FRONTLINE documentaries for PBS like Merchants of Cool and Generation Like, to hosting the influential Team Human podcast, to advising global institutions, his message remains urgent: in a world being automated and optimized, we must double down on being human. He also is Co-Founder of Andus, an AI consultancy. Since launching this podcast over eight years ago, we’ve spoken to more than 600 people in over 500 episodes about how work can empower rather than diminish us and what still needs to change. How can we resist the seductive narratives of techno-solutionism and instead embrace a more human-centered, collective path forward? What do the survival fantasies of some of the world’s wealthiest technologists reveal about our current system and how do we push back against that logic? And why is it more important than ever to reclaim agency not only over our tools, but over our values, our communities, and our shared future? One thing is clear: tackling today’s challenges requires fresh perspectives. That’s why we continue to search for ideas, people, methods, tools, and stories that bring us closer to the core of New Work. And of course, we always come back to the same question: can everyone really find and live what they really, really want? You're listening to On the Way to New Work, today with Douglas Rushkoff. [Hier](https://linktr.ee/onthewaytonewwork) findet ihr alle Links zum Podcast und unseren aktuellen Werbepartnern

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#512 Douglas Rushkoff | Media Theorist, Author & Host of Team Human

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This episode was published on October 13, 2025.

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Our guest today is one of the most influential and provocative media theorists of our time. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in English and theater, earned a Master of Fine Arts in Directing at CalArts, and went...

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