When Ned Ludd and his band of weavers took hammers to the new looms in early 19th-century England, mill owners retaliated by shooting them. I wonder how the tech titans will respond if voters switch from holding placards outside data centres to smashing them up. This seems likely, given the gulf between the pioneers’ excitement about what AI might offer, and the scams, slop and job losses which citizens currently see.
While some tech bosses talk inspirationally about scientific breakthroughs, other plutocrats breach copyright, stand by while their social media platforms harm mental health, demand more energy to power their ambitions with scant concern about climate change — and then boast with apparent glee about the eradication of white-collar jobs.
Yes, the west must try to win the AI race with China on national security. But if that contest simply enriches a few, at the expense of the many, voters could conclude that we might as well embrace communism.