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Comment by ChickeNES | Hacker News Reader

Who cares what Luddites think?

Usually, people tend to care about what the overwhelming majority thinks, if only to remain informed. I guess branding all dissidents with a derogatory term of your choice and retreating back into the booster bubble is an alternate option.

When people in 2026 are self applying “Luddite” to themselves, then I’m going to start using that term.

And personally I’ve never cared what the majority OR the minority thinks.

That's fine if you want to sit alone in a basement playing with AI models, but the context here is politics and the wider business world. In those domains accounting for the thoughts and needs of other citizens isn't just the morally correct thing to do, it's required to have any sort of sustained success.

Data center companies had some initial wins utterly steamrolling local governments. They sent millionaire legal teams after part time city councils who didn't immediately cave to their demands and it worked for a time. But people notice that stuff, don't like, and will react.

You can ignore the world all you like, but if that's the attitude actual decision makers are going to take with AI things are going to get even worse for them, no matter how many demeaning insults they fling at their opponents.

If you're such a lone wolf then why do you rely upon society to keep you fed and clothed? Why even comment on a social forum if you're so anti-social?

I do.

Ideally the not-luddites, if they want to get anything done.

This argument of “you’re stupid and I’m not” is not a winning one. If you want naysayers to listen, you have to address their concerns. Not pretend their concerns aren’t valid.

What I’m learning from this comment section is that a lot of supposedly smart people have the reasoning and persuasion skills of small children. I mean, really guys?

You’ve told these people that this technology will destroy the labor market and their means of living and you’re actually shocked they might be a little skeptical? Really? Is your brain functioning okay? Did you take your medicine today?

Frankly, the Luddites have been more than generous and understanding with their perspective. The technocrats have been incredibly, unbelievably, unfathomably shit with their posturing and persuasion. Jesus Christ, get a grip.

I predict in the end the Ludds will get steamrollered by progress, same as always. I did enjoy all the name calling though, keep it up. :)

It’s not name calling, it’s the truth. It’s not about your predictions or who “wins”, it’s about understanding and persuasion.

The biggest proponents of AI, the people who created it, who value it most, have stated again and again “this will ruin your life” “this threatens humanity” “you all will be out of a job”.

Do you think that messaging, from the people MOST OPTIMISTIC about AI, inspires confidence in… well… anyone?

Luddites are luddites because you, yes YOU, created them. People wouldn’t be Luddites if their lives weren’t threatened. Of course they’re Luddites!

And, for the record, I’m not a Luddite. I’m just not fucking braindead and understand that, if we want AI to go anywhere, we have to stop making it out to be a world-ending mayday situation.

If you tell people “this will ruin your life” then guess what? They won’t want to support that thing. Congratulations, you’ve just achieved the reasoning skills of the average American five year old.

Now can we all move on and stop sabotaging any sort of progress? The impediment to AI isn’t Luddites, it’s you. It’s AI proponents. Who can’t listen and who can’t understand that making enemies turns you into an enemy.

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