Modern Luddites: Reclaiming human agency in the age of AI
- Liezl
- May 7
- 3 min read
The Industrial Age gave us accessible goods and services, rapid medical innovation, and enhanced quality of life for the average person. It also gave us increased pollution and other environmental issues, poor working conditions, and a rise in unhealthy habits.
Humanity is facing a cross roads and we're at risk of repeating history.
The AI Age
Every technological leap brings tradeoffs. The question isn't whether AI will change work. It's whether we'll make the same mistakes we made before.
AI has meant that services are becoming more accessible and anyone with an idea can now create an app or service, which has led to creative and scientific innovation. AI is rapidly advancing and innovation is happening at a staggering rate. As with the Industrial Age, there are also trade offs and the human impact feels greater this time around. We are dealing with increased pollution and environmental issues as demand grows, a rise in unhealthy habits and loss of critical thinking, ethical risks, and a widening gap that is leaving people behind.
Modern Luddites
A recent report found that workers were actively sabotaging and undermining their company's AI strategies and efforts as a form of silent protest. The report specifically called out Gen Z as the main culprits, but I believe all generations are feeling the uncertainty and fear. 29% of workers admitted to sabotaging the AI strategy - and when looking at the Gen Z cohort almost half admitted to this. (This US, UK and European data mirrors trends we're seeing in Australia too.)
Respondents admitted to entering proprietary business information into public API tools, using unapproved AI tools (which is getting harder as companies start introducing governance and DLP measures), refusing to use AI tools, and even going so far as to tampering with performance reviews or intentionally generating low-output work to make AI appear incompetent.
Executives and business leaders are rushing to adopt AI, and in my experience this is often due to a sense of 'FOMO'. Leaders hear about the latest advancements in AI and they are worried that they are falling behind, so the pressure is pushed onto their teams to start implementing and using AI, without considering the human element.
While workers are sabotaging AI adoption, executives have made it clear: those who don't adapt will be left behind. Meanwhile, workers who've embraced AI are more likely to receive promotions and pay rises. The gap is widening fast.
The Human Element
As leaders, one of our main concerns should be the person in the process, and if it's not then we have failed. It's not only Gen Z who have concerns or fears about their jobs. The work environment has been severely disrupted and changed since the COVID pandemic and this feels like the next thing that workers need to deal with.
AI may not take your job but someone who knows how to use AI will.
When implementing AI strategies and programs, AI should be positioned as a partner that augments the human capability and it should be designed with your team, not for your team. They are the subject matter experts and can provide input into what will work, and what needs to be improved.
We're at an inflection point. In five years, you'll either be leading teams that mastered AI as a tool for human growth, or you'll be reacting to leaders who did. The question isn't whether to adopt AI. It's how you'll do it with your people, not to them.
References and Further Reading
