Luddites, artificial intelligence and change

There is a term that I have used intermittently throughout the years that seems to be making the rounds again, and in ways that are different and potentially more serious. The term “Luddite” has been used somewhat pejoratively to describe someone who is not particularly savvy in the ways of technology and is perhaps even openly resistant to technological advancement.

People of my generation will recall a time when personal computers were beginning to creep into our personal and professional lives. At the time, it was not uncommon to hear one of our elders say, “I have made it this many years without using a computer, and I don’t plan to begin now.” That phrase and several variations were extremely common among older folks in the mid-to-latter eighties, right up through the Windows ‘98 days. Some people did indeed complete perfectly successful lives without adopting new technologies while others were dragged kicking and screaming into the information age, either by their workplace or the promise of communicating with estranged grandchildren. For anyone even remotely resistant to the change, “Luddite” was a term applied with varying degrees of derision, pity, and affection.

The use of the term in that context was particularly hyperbolic in that the label actually referred to historical instances of property damage and civil unrest. The name references a group of textile workers who opposed the mechanization of the industry in 19th-century Britain. Named after a mythical figure, Ned Ludd, they opposed the introduction of automated machinery that would displace workers.

Our fictitious Mr. Ludd was believed to be a weaver and had reportedly destroyed a knitting machine in a fit of rage. Like Mr. Ludd, the Luddites were a mostly unorganized group of individuals who opposed the introduction of automated textile machinery, such as power looms and knitting frames, which threatened their livelihoods. They believed that the machines would replace skilled workers, lead to unemployment, lower wages, and erode the quality of their craft.

The Luddites targeted factories and mills, breaking into buildings and destroying machines. Primarily active in the Midlands and Northern England, the Luddite attacks were often met with a military response, and the British government passed legislation including the “Frame Breaking Act” of 1812 in an effort to suppress the movement. Several Luddites were arrested, and many were transported to penal colonies.

The recent resurgence of the term has grabbed my attention because, in our 21st century, we have little chance to evade technology. Those who do are more likely to be viewed as ideologues, eccentrics, and religious fanatics–and even they are forced to cheat now and then because, in our current world, digital technology is inescapable.

“Luddite,” in its current usage, refers to people who are resistant to the displacement of employees by newer technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence. Economic planners and governmental authorities are concerned about the number of people who will be displaced in the coming decades and have even expressed fears of civil unrest–hence the reference to Mr. Ludd.

The displacement is bound to happen, and the alarm is being sounded now while governments and educators have time to plan for retraining and repurposing of workers. Most will make the transition, but a few will almost certainly be left behind.

Before the inception of the labor movement, the industrial revolution was no more than a high-tech extension of the feudal system. Workers toiled for long hours in poor conditions, only to earn a subsistence wage. They were already poised for rebellion. In our case, we are going into the revolution with businesses short-handed and in an environment of inflated wages. It’s an employee’s market, so my hope is that there will be no massive displacement or associated civil unrest.

The inherent wisdom of free markets should guide new automation efforts toward those industries where labor shortages are most acute. Unfortunately, the hardest jobs to hire for are those that pay a low wage and require a physical presence, like food services and hospitality. Replacing low-wage earners with an expensive capital outlay for untested automation is a big risk, and it may be small business owners who pay the heaviest price.

For a quick and impressive glimpse of the future, saunter down to the McCook Clinic where an ATMish machine has been installed next to the front desk. To check-in for an appointment, just swipe your insurance card. The software then determines what your copay is going to be and asks that you swipe your credit card for payment. It couldn’t possibly be slicker, and as someone who has fallen behind on medical bills in the past, making a payment on the spot strikes me as a good move–but I’m afraid others may be caught off guard by the demand for payment.

When I talked to clinic staff, they claimed that employees had not been displaced (yet) by the added technology, and the machine seems to be able to reduce human labor requirements without the use of artificial intelligence, but in other industries, larger changes are underway. A think tank called the “World Economic Forum” estimates that artificial intelligence will replace 85 million jobs by 2025, but we don’t need to gaze into the future to see how that looks. Instead, let’s look at what we in Southwest Nebraska know best and understand instinctively.

Farm machinery has had a similar effect on Nebraska farms since 1930, with the size of the average farm increasing, and the number of family-owned farms decreasing. Global economics and mother nature also had a say in the matter, but mechanization that allows fewer people to work more productively made consolidation inevitable. Artificial intelligence and robotics will have the same effect and will have a greater impact over a shorter period of time.

We have a choice. We can pretend it isn’t happening and fight progress, or we can accept it and plan to be on the right side of the change. I know that’s easier to say than do, but unlike the original Luddites, we have the wisdom of the world at our fingertips. We don’t have to disrupt progress, create havoc, destroy machinery or do anything else that will get us shipped off to Australia. We simply need to do the hardest thing of all, and that is change.