As artificial intelligence accelerates, the term “Luddite” is resurfacing as a jab at skeptics—from boardrooms to commencement stages—but its history is more nuanced. Historians and writers such as Brian Merchant note that 19th-century Luddites in England opposed the use of mechanization to undercut wages and autonomy, not technology itself. Britain’s harsh crackdown helped recast “Luddite” as synonymous with anti-progress, a framing critics say still benefits elites. Today, amid moves such as New York’s push to pause new AI-related data centers and rising anxieties over jobs and mental health, some activists and Gen Z groups are reclaiming the label to press for technology that serves workers and society, not just profit.
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– Luddite
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