Is it time for a Luddite Renaissance?

2026-09-12 | original

read original get Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant → more articles

Why This Matters

NPR's Throughline revisits the original Luddites not as technophobes but as a labor movement resisting machine-driven job loss, drawing a direct line to today's anxieties about AI. The framing matters because it reframes 'anti-tech' backlash as a debate about worker power and human agency rather than ignorance of progress.

Key Takeaways

The historical Luddites were organized workers protesting automation-driven job displacement, not simply people afraid of new technology.
AI's rise is reviving similar existential fears about work, prompting talk of a 'Luddite Renaissance.'
The episode features historian Katrina Navickas on what 19th-century protest teaches about technology and human agency.

Worth a Look

Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant — If this episode's take on the Luddites hooked you, this book digs deep into the original rebellion against the machines and draws a straight line to today's AI anxieties. It's a gripping narrative history that reframes 'Luddite' as a label worth reclaiming.

See Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

Is it time for a Luddite Renaissance?

toggle caption Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Calling someone a "Luddite" is usually an insult – shorthand for someone who is behind the times. But the real Luddites weren't just afraid of change; they were a labor movement fighting to save their jobs from being replaced by machines. Today, with the rise of AI, many feel the same kind of existential threat and some are even pushing for a Luddite Renaissance. In this episode, Throughline takes on a listener's question to explore what the 19th-century Luddite rebellion can teach us about technology and human agency.

Guests:

Katrina Navickas, history professor at the University of Hertfordshire and author of the book Protest and the politics of space and place, 1789–1848

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Explore topics: luddite throughline npr katrina navickas