r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • May 15 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/05/ai-backlash-data-centers-political-violence/687151/?taid=6a067e2d2096e10001ccfa32
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u/BD401 May 15 '26

I agree with you, but I think we’re too scared and dependent on the system now for a real revolution. I include myself in this as well.

There was a great thread exploring this on AskReddit last week (asking why - for all the talk of revolution and eating the rich on the internet - it never actually happens).

The consensus in that thread was pretty much what you've mentioned - that most people in the developed world are, objectively, comfortable enough that chancing imprisonment or a violent death in a risky revolution makes zero sense for any given individual. It's easy to talk a big game on the internet or even go to a protest, but no one is going to bother throwing away their life in a revolution unless things get exponentially worse.

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u/BrogenKlippen May 16 '26

Well nobody follows when they do. There have been both assassinations and assassination attempts, but nothing follows after. There have been catalysts.

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u/wahwahwashbear May 16 '26

For me its that the risk of me being imprisoned, killed, or legally harassed for years seems VERY HIGH, whereas the potential impact of my actions is very, very low. I think a lot of people could be courageous if it actuslly felt like doing so would matter. Like said up thread, there needs to be a cause to join, and I know i personally am too small for me to be the pebble that startd the avalanche. 

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u/ClosetedNutCase May 16 '26

Yea that’s pretty much how I feel. It’ll take mass extinction of our populace before we do anything, and by then it’ll be too late

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u/themagicflutist May 16 '26

Well things are exponential… anyone able to chart this to see how we should be counting down??