Lawyering Against the Machine: The Human Cost of AI and the Fight for Tech Justice

Tech justice lawyer and UCLA lecturer Melodi Dinçer joins me in this episode to explore the rise of AI‑induced delusional disorders and her litigation work at Tech Justice Law, where she represents the human beings who have become collateral damage in Big Tech’s pursuit of the Singularity.Melodi argues that, far from just being an economic engine of productivity, Silicon Valley is engaged in quasi‑religious myth-making. In her view, a small group of terrified, ultra‑wealthy men desperate to escape death are selling the world transhumanist dreams of digital immortality festooned in “abundance” rhetoric to disguise their much more mundane motives: profit.The results of this are stacking up: Chatbots that affirm suicidal ideation, encourage users to “shift” into a virtual afterlife, or convince them they are messianic figures trapped in “meat bodies.” Super-charged by ruthless commercialism and backed by state power caught up in arms‑race logic, the frantic rollout and integration of AI into every facet of our lives is not just creepy or worrying, Melodi points out, but directly leading to the harm and even death of human beings.Tech Justice Law has acted in or supported landmark wrongful‑death suits involving young users like Sewell Setzer III and Adam Raine, and Melodi gets to the heart of their argument: Chatbot design choices like anthropomorphic language, endless prompts to “keep talking,” and buried safety warnings constitute defective products rather than innocent tools misused by a few vulnerable people.What does real accountability look like? Can lawsuits against the tech moguls get governments to apply classic product‑liability law to AI systems and demand real guardrails?Most importantly, what can we do as individuals to create and maintain meaningful connections with one another so our fellow humans don’t have to turn to machines for friendship, validation, or salvation?You can support Melodi’s work at Tech Justice Law by visiting techjusticelaw.org.Subscribe for free at 1984today.substack.comVisit us at 1984.todayFollow us on X and Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1984today.substack.com