Nick Srnicek

• Platforms and the digital economy
• Political economy of work
• Economics of artificial intelligence
• Anti-work politics

Dr Srnicek is involved in a number of different research strands. First, he is examining the emerging digital economy and how it is transforming contemporary capitalism. His book, Platform Capitalism, sets out a framework for understanding the novelties of businesses like Google, Amazon, and Alibaba – as well as how digital platforms generate new tendencies within our economies. His current research is continuing this focus by examining the political economy of AI and looking at how (beyond automation) AI will affect the power dynamics of contemporary capitalism.

Nick’s work is also engaged in the long tradition of anti-work politics. His first book, Inventing the Future (co-written with Alex Williams), was an attempt to elaborate an anti-work politics in the context of modern technological changes. His most recent book, After Work (co-written with Helen Hester), seeks to expand anti-work politics into the field of social reproduction by looking at how the often unwaged work of cleaning, cooking, and caring can be recognised, redistributed, and reduced.

Nick Srnicek is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy. His research focuses on the digital economy, monopolisation, artificial intelligence, and anti-work politics. Nick's books include After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time (Verso, 2023 with Helen Hester), Platform Capitalism (Polity, 2016), and Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work (Verso, 2015 with Alex Williams). He is currently working on a new book tentatively titled The Political Economy of Artificial Intelligence (Polity, 2024).

His work has been discussed in a variety of media including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and Libération. He has given public talks at places around the world, such as Glastonbury, Tate Britain, Centre Pompidou, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and has made a number of media appearances. Nick’s research has also been incorporated into art and design exhibitions across the globe, been taken up by political parties, and been the focus of debates in a number of countries.

Nick obtained his BA in Psychology and Philosophy and his MA in Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, and his PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.