Mapping AI resistance

OXFORD — The United States stands as both the birthplace of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution and a place where citizens harbor the least enthusiasm for the technology. Ipsos’s 2026 AI Monitor reveals that an overwhelming 85 percent of Chinese respondents, 80 percent of Indians, and 77 percent of Indonesians view AI products and services as offering more benefits than drawbacks, in stark contrast to the 38 percent in the U.S. Similar low percentages are found in Britain, France, and the Netherlands.

These attitudes are expected to heavily influence AI's adoption and its long-term effects on economic growth. In 19th-century Britain, the Luddites gained notoriety for smashing mechanical looms they perceived as a threat to their livelihoods. Parliament responded by criminalizing machine-breaking, imposing capital punishment, and deploying the military to suppress the riots.

This ultimately cemented Britain's role as the world's manufacturing hub. In contrast, China managed to thwart automation in cotton, silk, and other industries until the early 20th century through the influence of craft guilds. While China's slow industrialization alongside Europe was attributed to numerous factors, economists Klaus Desmet and Avner have shed light on this phenomenon.