From Luddites to Marx: The Coming Ownership Debate in the AI Era
nbaschez · x · 2026-08-12
The author draws a historical parallel between the current AI automation wave and the 18th-century Industrial Revolution.
The post notes that the initial populist response to early automation was to fight the machinery (e.g., the Luddite movement). A more lasting response was to respect the power of the machine but assert popular ownership (e.g., Marx and Engels). The author argues that society's current reaction to AI is still stuck at step one: fighting the machine rather than addressing ownership.
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