Opinion: tech elite’s AI successionism masks human replacement fears
In an opinion piece, philosopher Jason Stanley argues that far-right political movements exploit ‘great replacement’ theories to justify anti-immigration policies, while tech leaders quietly promote a different kind of replacement: humans by AI. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Europe’s leading far-right party, frames AI adoption as a way to reduce reliance on immigrant labor, embedding…
Key points
- Far-right parties like AfD use ‘great replacement’ fears to justify AI-driven labor displacement instead of immigration
- Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Palantir’s Alex Karp argue AI will eliminate the need for skilled immigration
- Stanley calls tech’s push for AI successionism a form of eugenics, prioritizing AI welfare over human labor
Stanley critiques the tech elite’s embrace of AI successionism—the belief that AI agents should eventually replace humans entirely. He links this ideology to transhumanism, citing Neuralink’s work on merging humans with AI, and warns that the focus on ‘cultural superiority’ in tech discourse (e.g., Palantir’s The Technological Republic) normalizes the idea that human labor and cognition are inferior to AI. The piece frames this as a modern form of eugenics, where tech leaders prioritize AI welfare over human well-being, while far-right rhetoric distracts from the broader existential threat of human obsolescence.
Rightwing ‘great replacement’ fears mask tech's real great replacement
The Guardian AI · 6 October 2026
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This text was published by The Guardian AI and written by Jason Stanley. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Published by Martin K., who runs Digest AI and handles corrections.
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