The Luddites were a group of English textile workers and artisans in the early 19th century who protested against the introduction of mechanized looms and other industrial machinery that threatened their jobs. Named after their (possibly mythical) leader Ned Ludd. They burned buildings and smashed machines, particularly in the textile industry, to resist the displacement of skilled labor by automation. The Luddites weren't inherently anti-technology but were concerned with the social and economic impacts of mechanization, which often benefited factory owners while leaving workers impoverished. A brutal crackdown by the British government resulted in troops deployed, trials, and executions - 14 Luddites were hanged in 1813.
Over time, "Luddite" became a term for anyone resisting technological change, though the original movement was more about labor rights than a blanket rejection of progress. We have now reached a point in history, and technological advancement, that virtually EVERY knowledge-based worker is in jeopardy of being augmented, then replaced with algorithms. Losing one's way of life goes far beyond factory floor workers in the textile industry. Now, we're looking at doctors, lawyers, traders, bankers, accountants, coders, customer service, planners...I could go on, but you get the gist. Believe me, the answer to this fast-approaching problem is not destroy the computers and data centers. That is a quick way to find yourself in jail. Hanging might be an unlikely possibility in this day and age, but if you harm or kill innocent people in your Luddite-like defiance, capital punishment might enter into the proceedings.
Society will not stand still or stop advancing because a segment of society is jeopardized. Nor will anybody come to save you if you are impacted by AI/Automation taking over your role. It's up to you to position yourself to 1.) be irreplaceable, or 2.) develop skills in a different discipline, or 3.) learn how to leverage the new tools in whatever you do professionally.
None of this is new, mind you. Advancement in technology has marched through time. I will admit, the pace has been extraordinary since the transistor was replaced with the microchip. It's not all that bad, since the common person lives infinitely better than royalty did a mere 100 years ago. Don't believe me? Just order a sandwich delivered to your front door. Or beckon your chauffeur to take you to the store. Or travel from New York City to LA in a matter of 4 hours. Or live in places too hot or too cold for people 100 years ago.
Bringing all this history and set-up back to a paper industry discussion, I'd like to remind people how far we've come. In my first job out of school, I was fortunate to see one of the first applications of digitization happening on the machine floor. We were placing digital computer-driven sensors on papermachines to control basis weight, moisture, caliper, etc. What that meant was the value captured was digital, so it could pass from database to database without losing fidelity or being obscured with human interpretation. Several QCS systems I helped install were on papermachines that relied on lab testing and NEVER had online gauging, let alone an analog prequel that could record values on a paper printout. With the information being digital, we could advance paper production, and our general understanding of process interactions, to levels we see today. Papermachines could be bigger, faster, yet still produce a sheet at higher quality than ever. Computers helped that happen. Yes, people stayed involved, but much of the work to control a papermachine was given away in the name of progress.
Let's shift gears and compare how I went about work back in the early 90's versus now. I work in sales, so that means getting around the country to meet people whose problems I feel I can solve. Or whose lives I feel I can make better. Usually, this leads to high quality relationships, so it is the essence of what I do for a living. I no longer have to:
- stop at pay phones every couple hours to get messages.
- find fax machines to send in hand-written reports on site visits to distribute directives and widely inform people about opportunities.
- use maps to figure out how to get from mill A to mill B in the easiest manner.
- have an office manager call hotels to book me a room.
- sit in highway toll lines while every other car counts out their change to throw in the basket.
These are but a few examples...I could go on and on about how much life has improved to do my job.
Just this upcoming week alone, I will have my car drive me (with the autonomous Super Cruise®) to my next site using a digital trip tik (I use Waze) that tells me were all the traffic jams are, recent accidents, or where police are hiding. It even tells me down to the minute when I'll arrive. Since I have nothing to do for the whole trip but watch the beautiful countryside, I can get dozens of phone calls done during that idle time. I can dictate some writing or emails. I can check off every to-do item in my customer relationship management system (CRM) that tracks every deal I am working. I can produce reports of every aspect of my business with a few queries of my CRM. Best of all, I can aggregate my spend with hotels and restaurants to get personal rebates in the form of hotel stays or cash to use as I please. I couldn't imagine any of this happening 30 years ago. What will covering a sales territory look like 30 years from now?
The downside of all this advancement is I can't escape work. I will always look at that text or take a call from a customer or principal. It's very hard to focus or relax in this day and age. I like what I do, so it's not as bad as it sounds. I may be replaced by an algorithm at some point, but I'm in the back half of my career with some resources already acquired or saved and a vast professional network. Younger people don't have this luxury, so they will need to figure out how to make their own way in the working world. Good thing they were raised on advanced computer and online tools so it will feel more normal to them as they work. What will they "work" on is the question...the same question the Luddites faced 200 years ago.
Steve Sena (stevesena@me.com) is a Cincinnati native. He obtained degrees in Paper Science & Engineering from Miami University in Oxford, OH and an MBA concentrating in Economics from Xavier University. He's worked for a broad array of leading producers, suppliers, and converters of pulp and paper grades.
