James Bridle interviews Chelsea Manning at the ICA, London

James Bridle situates himself in the future and casts a critical and cautious eye on our relationships with technology. Described as “the Orwell of the computer age”, James’ ability to foresee the implications of such technology through engaging and incisive commentary is unmatched. For these reasons, he was invited by the prestigious Institute of Contemporary Arts to conduct a rare interview in London with activist Chelsea Manning, earlier this month.

His critical lens and philosophical writing style has manifested in ‘The New Dark Age’, the artist-writer’s debut book which hypothesises how concepts like big data, algorithms and automated software are responsible for the loss of control we are currently experiencing in the world we have constructed. James has become the go-to for intelligent thought-leadership on how we connect and untangle our mad world. He was recently selected as one of The Guardian’s Fresh Voices: 50 writers you should read now.

Critical praise for The New Dark Age:

“New Dark Age” is among the most unsettling and illuminating books I’ve read about the Internet, which is to say that it is among the most unsettling and illuminating books I’ve read about contemporary life.” - New Yorker

A doomy overture to a new era. A work of digital gothic in which the chills are provided by the unpredictable and unstoppable forces we’ve unleashed on the world in the decades since the Manhattan Project. – Vice

“Bridle is an increasingly talked-about artist and writer who considers the relationship between technology, culture and consciousness. Among the subjects of his art are drones and self-driving cars. His ambitious debut book, New Dark Age, which argues that the digital era is radically shifting the boundaries of human experience, is out in July”. – The Guardian

His June 2018 TED Global talk The nightmare videos of children's YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet has already amassed 4 million views and solidified James' position as an authority on the state of the 21st century.