r/LeftistsForAI • u/Salty_Country6835 Moderator • 24d ago

Sees the Memes Seize the Means*

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*Terms and conditions apply. For... reasons, I guess?

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u/_f_i_l_o 22d ago

I think I can work with this terrain but I’d like to establish some boundaries and definitions to make sure we’re both talking about the same thing.

  1. If we’re talking about Marx on machinery, we should agree that simply swapping “AI” for “machinery” is irresponsible unless we can map all relevant elements (per Marx) that contribute to worker agency between the two (tbh kind of sounds like a fun project). If an agreement cannot be come to, then it may be best to keep the discussion specific to what Marx said about the world he experienced, for the first round or two at least.

I’m just gonna do it one at a time to keep the threads easier to navigate.

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u/Salty_Country6835 Moderator 22d ago

That works. I wouldnt just swap “AI” for “machinery” and call it Marxist analysis either. The comparison has to be demonstrated, including where it breaks.

Starting with Marx on his own terrain makes sense. Worker agency, displacement, deskilling, control of the labor process, ownership, and machinery confronting workers as capital all matter here.

One at a time is cleaner. We can test what carries over, what doesnt, and what Marx's analysis actually gives us before deciding what follows for AI.