The Trillion Dollar Battle For Your Attention, with Peter Schmidt and D. Graham Burnett - intelligence-squared-u-s-debates Recap

Podcast: intelligence-squared-u-s-debates

Published: 2026-02-09

Duration: 49 minutes

Guests: Peter Schmidt, D. Graham Burnett

Summary

Peter Schmidt and D. Graham Burnett discuss how tech companies commodify human attention, likening it to a trillion-dollar industry. They propose a collective movement to reclaim attention from these corporations.

What Happened

Peter Schmidt and D. Graham Burnett illuminate the trillion-dollar industry driven by tech giants like NVIDIA, Apple, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon, all vying for human attention. They draw parallels between how tech companies extract attention and the process of hydraulic fracking, emphasizing that these corporations use algorithms to monetize even the smallest bits of focus.

The authors of 'Attensity!' argue that the commodification of attention has roots in laboratory psychology and military needs, historically shaped to maximize machine interaction. They criticize the reliance on individual willpower to combat these supercomputers, suggesting it's insufficient against such powerful algorithms.

Schmidt and Burnett advocate for a collective movement akin to labor movements of the past, aiming to protect human attention. Their manifesto, 'Attensity!', written with 25 other academics and activists, serves as a blueprint for this movement, encouraging the formation of communities dedicated to preserving attention.

Attention, they argue, is not just a cognitive function but a vital part of human flourishing, akin to daydreaming or caring for others. They introduce the concept of 'attention sanctuaries,' spaces like museums and libraries, where immersive experiences can help preserve and focus attention.

The episode explores the notion of 'attention activism,' which is divided into three zones: study, organizing, and sanctuary spaces. Study involves understanding how attention interacts with the world, organizing involves building communities around shared values, and sanctuaries are safe spaces for focused attention.

Burnett and Schmidt describe attention as a 'world-building faculty,' essential for cultural and political shifts. They envision a future where attention is valued as a public good, protected from exploitation by tech companies.

Key Insights

• Tech giants like NVIDIA, Apple, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon are part of a trillion-dollar industry focused on capturing and monetizing human attention through sophisticated algorithms.
• The commodification of attention has historical roots in laboratory psychology and military needs, highlighting the evolution of machine interaction to maximize focus extraction.
• The concept of 'attention sanctuaries' refers to spaces such as museums and libraries that provide immersive experiences to help preserve and focus human attention.
• Attention is described as a 'world-building faculty,' essential for cultural and political shifts, and the authors advocate for its recognition as a public good, protected from exploitation.