A brief history of scepticism towards new technology, and what it means for AI today

[ai-mindset]

Recent discussions amongst the team surfaced a variety of thoughts, questions and feelings, all of which have merit. We'd like to write a piece that'll attempt a historical dive to help us put things into perspective regarding the changes we see in the Software and Data professions.

The blog post will explore two common concerns people have about AI in the workplace:

1. "AI generates slop" - Address the fact that poor results often come from not knowing how to use a tool effectively. This is true of any tool, not just AI.

2. "AI will take my job" - Put this fear in historical context. Every major technological shift has triggered the same concern. Examples to draw from:

• Desktop publishing blamed for ruining college essay quality: a direct mirror for "AI slop" i.e. new tools blamed for falling standards.
• Word processors at university (1983) - students needed a dean's permission to use a computer for writing: a parallel for today's workplace AI gatekeeping.
• London cabbie dismisses Google Maps - "comparing a hot dog vendor to Gordon Ramsay": refers to professional identity and expertise fears.
• The original AI doomer: Dr. Norbert Wiener's warnings about cybernetics and automation: these worries are decades old.
• 1926 screed against radio - fears about it "annihilating space and time": relatable technophobia that resonates across eras.