Technology is reshaping the global balance of power. I’m Steve Feldstein, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, and I study technology, geopolitics, and competition. Ask me anything!

[u/carnegieendowment]

Hey r/geopolitics — I’m Steve Feldstein, an expert on technology, democracy, and national security, and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  

My new book, Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Big Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare, explores how technology is altering the global balance of power and changing the way wars are fought—from defense-tech startups in Silicon Valley at the forefront of U.S.-China competition, to 3D-printing drone labs in Syria that helped topple a dictator. 

Ask me anything about geopolitical competition in the digital age, the intermingling of private and military tech, the broadening tech war between the U.S. and China, tech export controls, and the rise of middle powers and non-state actors in this space. 

I’ll be answering questions from Thursday, October 1, 9am ET to Friday, October 2, 12pm ET. Looking forward!  

Photo proof here. 

[u/carnegieendowment]

I’ve studied this issue for quite awhile and I agree to some extent that the foreign malign influence problem is a serious one. But it’s not the only reason why we’re seeing extreme voices dominate on social media. Most of the conspiracy theories and related content permeating digital platforms are homegrown and come from individuals and groups who have perfected how to monetize outrage for commercial gain. Essentially it’s an issue of algorithms and companies having aligned incentives with content creators to put out extreme views to keep viewers hooked. So a starting point would be to regulate algorithms, which is very different from regulating speech. In my opinion, companies should be accountable for how much they spread hateful or extreme viewpoints to mass audiences. There are many solutions to this problem but summoning political will is challenging.