I think the author is absorbing the negative atmosphere of the zeitgeist we're currently living in - i.e people struggling to make ends meet, inequality rising, environmental catastrophe in the making, wars, public discourese based on cynicism and outrage, etc - and using it against AI.

AI itself is a pretty scientific, neutral subject. On the other hand, the use we're making of it currently and the use we will probably make of it in the future is something certainly depressing.