https://theconversation.com/im-a-luddite-you-should-be-one-too-163172
"I’m a Luddite. This is not a hesitant confession, but a proud proclamation.
I’m also a social scientist who studies how new technologies affect politics,
economics and society. For me, Luddism is not a naive feeling, but a considered
position.
And once you know what Luddism actually stands for, I’m willing to bet you will
be one too — or at least much more sympathetic to the Luddite cause than you
think.
Today the term is mostly lobbed as an insult. Take this example from a recent
report by global consulting firm Accenture on why the health-care industry
should enthusiastically embrace artificial intelligence:
Excessive caution can be detrimental, creating a luddite culture of
following the herd instead of forging forward.
To be a Luddite is seen as synonymous with being primitive — backwards in your
outlook, ignorant of innovation’s wonders, and fearful of modern society. This
all-or-nothing approach to debates about technology and society is based on
severe misconceptions of the real history and politics of the original
Luddites: English textile workers in the early 19th century who, under the
cover of night, destroyed weaving machines in protest to changes in their
working conditions.
Read more: The coronavirus pandemic is boosting the big tech transformation to
warp speed
Our circumstances today are more similar to theirs than it might seem, as new
technologies are being used to transform our own working and social conditions
— think increases in employee surveillance during lockdowns, or exploitation by
gig labour platforms. It’s time we reconsider the lessons of Luddism."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
