Petter Törnberg on Algorithmic Tyranny, the Rise of Digital Modernity and Seeing Like a Platform
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What do Facebook, Google, and TikTok see when they look at us — and what do they miss?
In this episode of Singularity.FM, I sit down with Petter Törnberg, Assistant Professor of Computational Social Science at the University of Amsterdam and co-author of Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity.
Törnberg argues that platforms have become the new eyes of power, replacing the top-down logic of industrial modernity with the more subtle yet equally dominating logic of digital modernity. Rather than merely reflecting our societies, algorithms now reshape them, redefining politics, culture, and even our sense of self.
Together we explore:
How platforms have become the new eyes of power
Why algorithms don’t just mirror society — they reshape it
The dangers of algorithmic tyranny and invisible control
The shift from industrial modernity to digital modernity
Why self-organization often hides new forms of hierarchy
Whether AI will become the ultimate platform of platforms
How citizens, activists, and policymakers can still resist
This conversation goes beyond platforms and algorithms. It asks whether we can still imagine collective futures in an era of fragmentation, and whether AI will serve as a tool of emancipation or the ultimate mechanism of control.
As always, you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support, you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.
Who is Petter Törnberg?
Petter Törnberg is an Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science at the University of Amsterdam. He studies the intersection of AI, social media, and politics. His recent books include “Intimate Communities of Hate: Why Social Media Fuels Far-Right Extremism” (with Anton Törnberg; 2024) and “Seeing Like a Platform: An inquiry into the condition of digital modernity” (with Justus Uitermark; 2025.)
