Proud Luddite (Against AI)
Woodcut, image size 40cm x 30cm
Handprinted in an edition of 100
I have been reading extensively about the Luddite movement and their misrepresentation by perceived wisdom, perceived wisdom bought to you by capital, obviously. The luddites weren't anti technology, they enjoyed the benefits of mechanised looms and wheels, they were against the way capital decided to use them, making masses of workers unemployed and forcing those who remained into unsafe working conditions for the maximisation of profit.
We are in a strange moment with the technology of our time, one that feels pivotal and demands luddist thinking. The techno fascists seem hell bent on inflicting ai onto everything and everyone, whether we like it or not. The UK government is bending over backward to facilitate this, even though they're industries that for now no one has an idea how to make money from.
The environmental impact of AI is immense, it uses vast amounts of water and vast amounts of electricity on a scale that is hard to comprehend and will account for 1/5 of the whole UKs usage within the next five years if all the proposed data centres this tech needs go ahead. Do we want this, as it is the natural world that will pay. Already pitiful climate targets will be totally unobtainable, such is the demand of this technology on resources. Almost all new renewables projects will go into feeding this monster and this monster only.
To make a technology that destroys critical thinking, plagiarises art and literature, makes search engines worse, and just pumps out endless streams of slop, dim diolch!
So I am a proud luddite, and will not be engaging with this filth, and I hope you will be too. Remember, a machine built by fascists is a fascist machine.
Woodcut, image size 40cm x 30cm
Handprinted in an edition of 100
I have been reading extensively about the Luddite movement and their misrepresentation by perceived wisdom, perceived wisdom bought to you by capital, obviously. The luddites weren't anti technology, they enjoyed the benefits of mechanised looms and wheels, they were against the way capital decided to use them, making masses of workers unemployed and forcing those who remained into unsafe working conditions for the maximisation of profit.
We are in a strange moment with the technology of our time, one that feels pivotal and demands luddist thinking. The techno fascists seem hell bent on inflicting ai onto everything and everyone, whether we like it or not. The UK government is bending over backward to facilitate this, even though they're industries that for now no one has an idea how to make money from.
The environmental impact of AI is immense, it uses vast amounts of water and vast amounts of electricity on a scale that is hard to comprehend and will account for 1/5 of the whole UKs usage within the next five years if all the proposed data centres this tech needs go ahead. Do we want this, as it is the natural world that will pay. Already pitiful climate targets will be totally unobtainable, such is the demand of this technology on resources. Almost all new renewables projects will go into feeding this monster and this monster only.
To make a technology that destroys critical thinking, plagiarises art and literature, makes search engines worse, and just pumps out endless streams of slop, dim diolch!
So I am a proud luddite, and will not be engaging with this filth, and I hope you will be too. Remember, a machine built by fascists is a fascist machine.
Woodcut, image size 40cm x 30cm
Handprinted in an edition of 100
I have been reading extensively about the Luddite movement and their misrepresentation by perceived wisdom, perceived wisdom bought to you by capital, obviously. The luddites weren't anti technology, they enjoyed the benefits of mechanised looms and wheels, they were against the way capital decided to use them, making masses of workers unemployed and forcing those who remained into unsafe working conditions for the maximisation of profit.
We are in a strange moment with the technology of our time, one that feels pivotal and demands luddist thinking. The techno fascists seem hell bent on inflicting ai onto everything and everyone, whether we like it or not. The UK government is bending over backward to facilitate this, even though they're industries that for now no one has an idea how to make money from.
The environmental impact of AI is immense, it uses vast amounts of water and vast amounts of electricity on a scale that is hard to comprehend and will account for 1/5 of the whole UKs usage within the next five years if all the proposed data centres this tech needs go ahead. Do we want this, as it is the natural world that will pay. Already pitiful climate targets will be totally unobtainable, such is the demand of this technology on resources. Almost all new renewables projects will go into feeding this monster and this monster only.
To make a technology that destroys critical thinking, plagiarises art and literature, makes search engines worse, and just pumps out endless streams of slop, dim diolch!
So I am a proud luddite, and will not be engaging with this filth, and I hope you will be too. Remember, a machine built by fascists is a fascist machine.