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It’s really stunning how the USA has so swiftly shifted from being one of the most techno-optimistic and tech-industry-loving countries on earth, to a country where most people seem to assume - not incorrectly, at least in many cases - that tech is out to get them.

Being really enthusiastic about new technology and our scientific and technology industries was the USA’s brand for what, the entire 20th century? And seems like over the course of about 20 years, big tech and our abject failure to meaningfully regulate it has pretty successfully lit that on fire.

I’m sure some people in academia have actually studied the remarkable US shift from optimism about tech to intense pessimism, and I’d love to read that research if anyone has links.

Of course, while I share the public’s skepticism about surveillance, social media, and AI, I also am forced to admit that this techno-skepticism and distrust must also be linked to the antivaxxer movement and its distrust of vaccines (which I think is horrible, stupid, and dangerous)

Yes, this isn’t just about AI. Public trust in big tech companies was tanking well before ChatGPT became available in 2022. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...