Every Time Technology Leaps Forward, Fear Follows—Then Opportunity Wins
Over the last 250 years, every major technological breakthrough has been greeted with the same ominous prediction: mass job loss, social upheaval, and economic collapse. The arrival of steam power was supposed to end work as we knew it. Electrification was feared as a destroyer of skilled trades. Computers were accused of replacing entire professions. The internet was blamed for hollowing out economies. And now, artificial intelligence sits squarely in the crosshairs. History tells a different story. Yes, technological revolutions create short-term disruption. Certain roles diminish, others disappear, and entire industries are forced to adapt. That discomfort is real and should not be dismissed. But what follows—every single time—is something far more powerful: an explosion of new opportunities, new forms of employment, and unprecedented wealth creation. Steam power didn’t eliminate work; it scaled it. Electrification didn’t destroy productivity; it multiplied it. Computers didn’t replace human thinking; they amplified it. The
