Artificial intelligence is transforming global geopolitical relations. Since 2025, the alliance between technology giants and American military industry reveals a “techno-militarist turn” that is redrawing the balance of power. In this context, Jean-Noël Missa’s essay deconstructs the philosophy driving this revolution: technofuturism. An essential analytical framework for understanding how Silicon Valley now imposes its rules on global diplomacy.
The Author
Jean-Noël Missa, a doctor in medicine and philosophy, is a research director at the FNRS and professor at the Free University of Brussels. His research focuses on the history and philosophy of biomedical sciences as well as bioethics issues related to human enhancement. A member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, he notably co-edited the Encyclopedia of Transhumanism and Posthumanism in 2015. This unique expertise in bioethics and technology naturally led him to analyze the geopolitical implications of technofuturist philosophy.
The Central Thesis
This essay delves into the heart of Silicon Valley’s philosophy: technofuturism. Missa develops the idea that this ideology is not merely a simple entrepreneurial vision, but “the ambition of a technological republic where artificial intelligence establishes the supremacy of powers.” The author demonstrates that technofuturism now constitutes a tool of geopolitical soft power that redefines global power relations.
The Technofuturist Triptych
Missa structures his analysis around “three pillars - transhumanism, the management of existential risks, and space expansion” that form the conceptual framework of technofuturism. This trilogy reveals the civilizational dimension of the Californian project.
Transhumanism appears as the first lever of influence. The author shows how transhumanist scientists and philosophers “today defend a Promethean progressivism of transforming human nature through technology.” This technoscientific utopia goes beyond simple medical progress to become a global political project for improving humanity according to Californian standards.
The management of existential risks constitutes the second pillar. The effective altruism movement, supported by technology billionaires, now influences American policy on AI, prioritizing existential risks over traditional concerns. This approach transforms the management of technological risks into an instrument of worldwide intellectual domination.
Space expansion completes this architecture. Missa even gave a lecture titled “Modifying Man to Colonize Space?” at the Royal Academy of Belgium, illustrating his reflection on this futuristic dimension of technofuturism that makes space conquest a geopolitical horizon.
From Philosophy to Geopolitics
The originality of Missa’s analysis lies in its ability to reveal how a technological philosophy becomes an instrument of state power. The author describes the recent shift: “Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic still opposed the military use of AI in early 2024. Within a year, all of them changed position,” illustrating the progressive militarization of technofuturism.
This transformation reveals “the new geopolitics of technological salvation” where tech giants become first-rank diplomatic actors. The book illuminates how technological innovation transforms into soft power, allowing the United States to project its worldwide influence through its technology companies.
The author also analyzes how this philosophy influences other powers. Africa connects its brains to Asia via the UN Technology Bank, revealing the emergence of alternative technological circuits in the face of Californian hegemony. This geopolitical dynamic perfectly illustrates Missa’s thesis on the transformation of technofuturism into a tool of worldwide influence.
The Blind Spots
The essay nevertheless presents limitations. Missa concentrates essentially on technofuturist philosophy without sufficiently analyzing its internal contradictions. “Beneath the promise of emancipation looms an anxiety, that of a future that technology could write without us, relegating humanity to the margins of its own narrative,” but the author does not sufficiently explore cultural and political resistances to this vision.
The work also lacks a comparative analysis with other national technological models, particularly Chinese or European. While China surpasses the physical limits of fusion plasma and develops its own technological vision, the essay remains too focused on the American case to fully grasp global geopolitical stakes.
Finally, the work could question more the actual effectiveness of this technofuturist influence. European resistances to GAFA or alternative development models suggest that the Californian “technological republic” encounters obstacles that Missa underestimates.
Why Read It
This book is intended for policymakers, diplomats, and geopolitical analysts who want to understand the new workings of American influence. Missa offers a unique analytical framework for deciphering how innovations like recycled plastic becoming an anti-Parkinson treatment or advances in private space exploration become instruments of soft power.
The essay also interests philosophers and ethicists who question the civilizational impact of technology. Missa does not merely describe technofuturism; he reveals its profound anthropological implications for humanity’s future.
Finally, the book constitutes a valuable tool for Europeans concerned with developing their own technological sovereignty. By deciphering the mechanisms of Silicon Valley’s influence, Missa indirectly provides the keys to resist this philosophical hegemony and build credible alternatives.
Bibliographic Information
- Title: Technofuturism: The Philosophy of Silicon Valley
- Author: Jean-Noël Missa
- Publisher: Royal Academy of Belgium (Regards Collection)
- Publication Date: March 2026
- Price: €18.00
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