Industrial Revolution Disruption Parallels AI, Policy Support Crucial
emollick · x · 2026-08-20
Ethan Mollick notes that while the Industrial Revolution ended well, it caused horrible disruption along the way. He cites history: early machines lowered yarn costs, increasing demand for weavers for 20 years, but the power loom eventually made handweavers obsolete. This highlights the need for good policy and support to navigate job changes brought by AI.
Related event: Lessons From the Industrial Revolution for AI and Jobs(2 posts)→
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