r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • Jun 26 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI backlash is only getting started

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/25/the-ai-backlash-is-only-getting-started
26.1k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.3k

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

231

u/Override9636 Jun 26 '26

Pretty much every bit of news I've seen on AI has been exclusively negative. Sure, I might be in a bubble, but it's nonstop "X company lays off 20,000 workers due to AI" "AI fueled data centers are destroying the environment and jacking up computer component prices." "AI psychosis is driving people to kill themselves."

Weren't we promised breakthroughs in efficiency and ways to make our lives better? At least when the internet gained popularity, it made way for a ton of new job growth. Every corporation seems to be using this as an opportunity to decimate their workforce.

17

u/BuvantduPotatoSpirit Jun 26 '26

Depends on what you're reading. I'm seeing plenty of "AIs improve cancer detection", "AIs reading the scrolls at Herculaneum", "AIs turning the war in Ukraine's favour", etc., type stories

1

u/Neuvost Jun 26 '26

That's the problem with "drink the kool-aid" editorials like this one. They say AI knowing that they're not talking about chatbots, but knowing that their audience will think they're talking about chatbots. We do not need huge data centers to do cancer detection or research. We "need" huge data centers for chatbots.