Lessons from the History of Automation: The Case of the Luddites

Author: Jia Kai Hu

Field of Study: Arts and Humanities

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program, TRiO (SSS, Upward Bound, etc.)

Faculty Mentors: Will Glovinsky

Easel: 52

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: The consequences of technological innovation on work and employment are hotly debated in the US today. While many fear that new technology like AI automation will supplant human workers, others argue that innovation will create new jobs to compensate for this loss. However, unemployment is only one of the effects. Offering a historical parallel to this contemporary debate, this project turns to the British industrial revolution and the textile workers’ Luddite movement that responded to income and job losses with protests and machine-breaking. While on the surface level, the story of Luddites seems like one about technological unemployment, further analysis reveals other consequences such as deskilling, less worker power, and an increase in social unrest. Using an analysis of the Luddite history and modern quantitative data on the effects of AI on different industries, this research will suggest how this misunderstood history can help illuminate our current moment.