Longtime Norfolkans may recall that Mike Nolan, a former city administrator, would occasionally refer to Luddites when talking about fears associated with technological or societal changes on the horizon.
It was a reference to what happened in the early 1800s when a group of people smashed textile machinery, convinced that destroying the new technology would save their livelihoods. The individuals were followers of Ned Ludd, hence the nickname “Luddite.”
One can poke good-natured fun at individuals who share an extreme wariness of new technology, but they’re not entirely misguided.
Henry Miller, a molecular biologist and the founding director of the Federal Drug Administration’s Office of Biotechnology, recently shared an insightful perspective on such fears, especially as it pertains to today’s top issue — artificial intelligence.
“Every transformative technology has its prophets of doom,” he wrote. “AI is just the latest to draw them out.”
Last year, a Pew poll found that half of Americans are concerned about the increasing use of AI in daily life. Some doctors, for example, may fear patients Googling their way to a diagnosis and treatment. Those who write code for a living fear ...