3644 - Trump Brings Oligarch Posse to China; The Artificial Inevitability of AI w/ Alex Hanna

The Majority Report with Emma Vigeland explores two major themes in this episode: Trump's high-stakes diplomatic trip to China, flanked by billionaire tech CEOs, and the growing environmental and social dangers of artificial intelligence. The episode critiques Trump's strategy of using oligarchs to negotiate with China, highlighting how such deals benefit corporate elites while undermining U.S. energy independence and democratic values. It contrasts this with China’s actual progress in renewable energy, citing data showing flat or declining CO2 emissions and massive investments in solar, wind, and energy storage. The segment also condemns the U.S. government’s reversal on renewable energy projects, including the $1 billion settlement with French oil company Total Energy to cancel offshore wind leases. In the second half, sociologist Alex Hanna joins to dismantle the myth of AI inevitability, arguing that AI is a marketing construct used to justify corporate control, labor displacement, and environmental destruction. Hanna exposes how chatbots are designed to mimic human interaction to manipulate users and replace workers—particularly women and artists—while ignoring real harms like data theft, environmental pollution, and mental health risks such as 'AI psychosis.' The episode concludes with a powerful call to reject techno-fascist narratives and center grassroots resistance, especially from communities facing data center expansions that threaten water, air, and equity.