
Predictions 2020: New Luddite Underground: Anti-Tech Movement
- By 2025, an anti-tech underground will develop. This movement will focus on disrupting/attacking high tech in business. The roots will be in a displaced workforce focusing on automation, robotics, and AI.
- This movement will begin with the cancellation of tech jobs. Programmers, analysts, project managers will be the target of increasing lay-offs.
- In the 1990’s and 2000’s a larger number of viruses were created in old Eastern Block countries. This was due to the high unemployment of computer programmers.
Leading indicators
- Continued layoffs and downsizing in high tech workforce particularly due to automation.
- Continued flattening of the labor pyramid where top 1% sits atop a very large base.
- Shortages in the supply chain due to technical difficulties (not raw goods related)
Trends
- Anti-technology movements, like the Luddites, Â have been around for centuries.
- What fuels them is profiteering from the upper economic classes. The lower classes feeling that they are expendable.
- Workers are without alternative training or other social safety nets.
Recommendations
- Incentivized worker training and education programs either or by government agencies or businesses.
Universal income and/or other benefits.