What the backlash to the Industrial Revolution can teach us about handcrafts in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn't yet causing widespread job losses in Australia. But with some high-profile business leaders still predicting a looming unemployment "crisis," it's little wonder many people fear AI is coming for their job.
The backlash against the Industrial Revolution offers insights into contemporary attitudes towards handcrafts in the age of artificial intelligence. While AI hasn't yet led to widespread job losses in Australia, concerns about automation have persisted since the early days of industrialization. In fact, people have continued to make things by hand, with handicrafts enjoying a resurgence globally.
The power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1785, revolutionized the textile industry, leading to labor protests and the rise of the Luddites. However, the cultural and aesthetic responses to industrialization were equally significant. The Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries looked to handcrafted practices and nature for inspiration, rejecting the cheapness of industrial abundance.
Today, crafts are more popular than ever, with an estimated nine million Australians participating in some form of art or craft. Crafting offers tangible benefits such as social connection, repair, sustainability, and personal agency. In an AI-mediated economy, the deliberate effort and human skills required in handcrafting make it relatively safe from automation, providing a sense of control and purpose in a world that often feels out of control.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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