Cognitive Mercantilism: AI panic resembles fears of early capitalism
This article explores the historical parallels between current AI anxiety and the emergence of early capitalism. It argues that modern fears of AI are a form of 'cognitive mercantilism' rooted in outdated zero-sum economic thinking.
Why it matters
Offers a unique intellectual framework for understanding the societal and economic panic surrounding the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
75 1 11 Share I’ve been reading Joyce Appleby’s The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism (2010), and it has me circling a rather delicious thought: AI panic is really a form of cognitive mercantilism. If we regard the market capitalism as the first planetary intelligence, as many (including me) do, the parallels are closer than you might think.
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