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Back to To the Point

To the Point

Should Digital Networks Pay Us for Our Info?

Jaron Lanier was a pioneer of virtual reality. He sold a start-up to Google and helped Walmart, Fannie Mae, banks and hedge funds learn to use computerized information. He's now working on several projects for Microsoft. All that has made him a uniquely authoritative critic of the digital economy he has helped to create.

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By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

Jaron Lanier was a pioneer of virtual reality. He sold a start-up to Google and helped Walmart, Fannie Mae, banks and hedge funds learn to use computerized information. He's now working on several projects for Microsoft. All that has made him a uniquely authoritative critic of the digital economy he has helped to create. Last year in

Who Owns the Future he argued that Google, Facebook and Twitter should be paying all their users for making those companies rich. Since then, we've learned more about the downside of "Big Data."

Who Owns the Future

is now out in paperback and Lanier joins us in our studios in Santa Monica.

Jaron Lanier will be at Pages Bookstore in Manhattan Beach tonight, April 23, at 7pm.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Andrea Brody

    Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

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    Benjamin Gottlieb

    Reporter, Fill-in Host

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    Evan George

    Director of Content, News

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    Jaron Lanier

    Computer systems expert and author of "You Are Not a Gadget : A Manifesto and Who Owns the Future?"

    NewsNationalPolitics
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