Karen Hao’s recent book, Empire of AI, uncovers how a handful of artificial intelligence companies are amassing political and economic power, with Sam Altman’s OpenAI at the forefront. In an extended interview, the author explains why this development resembles a new form of colonialism that undermines democracy.

The book details the hidden costs of AI expansion. Hao’s reporting exposed the exploitation of workers in Kenya, attempts to extract massive amounts of freshwater from communities in Chile, and the broader environmental damage caused by AI infrastructure. “This is an extraordinary type of AI development that is causing a lot of social, labor and environmental harms,” she says.