“Take notice that if the frames are not pulled down by you, we shall pull them down.” (“King Ludd”, 1811,)
The English term “Luddite” is rarely used as a compliment. It is meant to criticize people who refuse to adapt to new technologies and stick stubbornly to outdated old methods. But in reality, the Luddites were organized workers in England in the early 19th century. They destroyed new machines (mostly mechanical knitting frames) which would automate the manufacture of previously hand-made textiles. Destruction of machinery could be punished by hanging in 19th century England and many Luddites were also deported to penal colonies in Australia. Their name came from their leader, the mythical figure of “King” Ned Ludd, who embodied the workers’ fears of new technology as well as their power to resist it.
In 2026, in a world already experiencing another technological transformation, as AI sweeps ever more rapidly into our industries, workplaces and lives – are there any lessons we can learn from the much-maligned Luddites?
Identify what is worth fighting for
Despite their reputation, the Luddites were far from being irrational destroyers of progress. It was not automation in and of itself they rejected, but the shoddy way it was done, with cheap materials and unsafe working practices replacing the craftmanship of previous years. Luddite workers were respected and deeply rooted in their communities, and they rightly intuited that changes to their way of working would affect their whole identity and sense of meaning. Indeed, machines replacing hands would very quickly result in huge numbers of people becoming uprooted from their landscapes and communities as part of the Industrial Revolution. As the “fourth industrial revolution” of AI consumes millions of jobs across multiple sectors, from taxi-drivers to film producers, we could also stand to identify what is valuable and what we are willing to fight for in our jobs and crafts.
Make it personal
After attacking machinery, the Luddites’ second strongest tactic was to write threatening letters to individual factory owners (as in the quote above), making their demands clear. Similarly, there have been calls to boycott specific AI platforms such as ChatGPT in favour of open source, democratic alternatives. Concerns with ChatGPT include its willingness to provide AI tools to support and fund government authoritarianism in the USA and lack of care for the mental health of users. Hitting specific companies where it hurts most – their wallets – is one small way consumers can shape the direction that AI takes.
See the potential in a world turned upside down
Ned Ludd is most often depicted wearing a polka dotted dress and the Luddites in general reveled in cross dressing. This is explained by historians as a folk tradition similar to “carnival” whereby the usual social rules are reversed, and new ways become possible. Change is thus a cause for great fear and uncertainty but also revelry and fun. We are also at a moment of mostly unasked for transition, where our working world is being turned upside down. Acknowledgement of this is the first step to understanding its potential.
Respect the land you stand on
Even if we can work anywhere with a laptop and Wi-Fi, we are still intimately connected to the place we live, the air we breathe and the soil we stand on. AI, with its water-guzzling and huge environmental footprint, would be better employed only where necessary, rather than as a first response. One tiny way of employing this is to tell Google not to provide AI generated answers by using “-ai”, (e.g. enter “Who were the Luddites? – ai”). Or switching browser to duckduckgo or ecosia.
Own your own brand
That the term Luddite is a scathing term or an insult shows how thoroughly buried their warning has been under narratives of “progress”. It is vital that those ringing the alarm bells or suggesting sensible limits on AI today are not similarly dismissed as backward and old-fashioned. This can be achieved by acknowledging the benefits of AI, in healthcare and a range of professions and making clear that progress is welcome, but in a way that benefits humanity as a whole.
Know how to lose
As the Luddites probably intuited, we have to some extent already lost this battle. There is no going back from AI, in the same way as artisan labour was doomed the moment mass production became possible. However, we can choose how to lose, or rather choose what to battle with and what to accept or even welcome. If there is no way of holding the “engine of mischief” of AI back, we should at least keep fighting, as the Luddites did, to have a say in its direction. Pride in human craftmanship, respect for men, women and the planet, and dignified work are as relevant in the age of AI as they were in the textile mills of 19th century England, and there is nothing “Luddite” about saying so.
Natalie Czaban 
Leave a comment