A timeline of tech-driven moral panics: from ancient Greece to generative AI
By
Andrew Maynard
Summary
This article presents an interactive timeline of technology-driven moral panics spanning over two millennia — from ancient Greek concerns about writing and printing, through bicycles, cars, radio, and video games, to modern anxieties about generative AI. It argues that most "techlash" responses appear irrational in hindsight, driven by fear of the unknown and desire to maintain the status quo, while acknowledging there is often more nuance beneath the surface.
Source
Twitter / XA timeline of tech-driven moral panics: from ancient Greece to generative AItechlashed.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe past two plus millennia have had their fair share of technology-driven panics, from warnings about the dangers of writing and printing, to the advent of bicycles, the car, radio, video games and — more recently — generative AI.
Most of these 'techlash' responses look irrational with hindsight — knee-jerk social responses that place fear of the unknown, maintaining the status quo, and holding on to identity-defining ideas, ahead of rational thought.
And yet, below the surface, there's often more to
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