This book introduces a bold new framework for understanding the digital age: an emerging system in which power and profit flow from the ownership and control of data. Moving beyond traditional critiques of Big Tech, the book argues that we are witnessing a fundamental shift from capitalism – based on factories and physical resources – to datalism, where human experience itself becomes the primary raw material of economic value.
Through vivid examples and accessible analysis, the book explores how platforms, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructures extract, process and monetise data at unprecedented scale. It examines the implications for labour, competition and global power, showing how individuals increasingly contribute value without recognition or reward. Bridging rigorous research with engaging storytelling, this book provides readers with a powerful lens to understand the forces reshaping economies, societies and governance in the 21st century.