The Original Luddites (1811-1816)
The term "Luddite" originates from the English textile workers who protested against labor-saving machinery in the early 19th century. Named after the possibly mythical Ned Ludd, these workers destroyed weaving machinery they believed threatened their livelihoods.
Contrary to popular perception, the Luddites were not opposed to technology itself. They were skilled artisans protesting the introduction of machinery operated by less-skilled, lower-paid workers. Their resistance was economic and social, not anti-progress.
The Printing Press Panic
When Johannes Gutenberg introduced the printing press around 1440, it sparked fears remarkably similar to today's AI concerns. Scribes worried about unemployment, religious authorities feared the uncontrolled spread of heresy, and intellectuals warned that mass-produced books would degrade scholarship.
"Abundance of books makes men less studious; it destroys memory and enfeebles the mind by relieving it of too much work."
— Hieronimo Squarciafico, Venetian humanist (1477)
Yet the printing press democratized knowledge, enabled the Scientific Revolution, and ultimately expanded rather than contracted intellectual work.
The Automobile Transition
The replacement of horses with automobiles in the early 20th century displaced entire occupational categories: stable hands, blacksmiths, carriage makers, farriers, and feed suppliers. By 1900, there was roughly one working horse for every three Americans; within decades, these horse-dependent jobs had largely vanished.
Many blacksmiths adapted by becoming the first generation of automobile mechanics. The automotive industry ultimately created new categories of employment, though the transition period was genuinely difficult for those in displaced occupations. This pattern — short-term displacement followed by industrial transformation — has repeated throughout history.
The Computer Age Fears
In the 1960s, the introduction of computers sparked widespread predictions of mass unemployment. In 1961, TIME magazine published "The Automation Jobless," warning that "automation is beginning to move in and eliminate office jobs too." President Lyndon Johnson convened a National Commission on Technology, Automation, and Economic Progress in 1964 to study the threat.
The commission concluded that "technology eliminates jobs, not work" — automation did not threaten overall employment. While certain clerical jobs did disappear, computers created entirely new industries and transformed existing ones.
Lessons for Today
These historical parallels offer both comfort and caution. Technology transitions have consistently created more opportunities than they destroyed — but not immediately, and not for everyone.
The workers displaced during these transitions faced real hardship. Their concerns were legitimate, even when their predictions about technology's ultimate impact proved incorrect. Dismissing today's AI skeptics as merely "anti-progress" ignores this nuanced history.
Successful transitions required adaptation: retraining programs, social safety nets, and time for new industries to emerge. The same will likely be true for AI.