Essay Argues AI Panic Echoes Early Capitalism Fears

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A piece titled 'Cognitive Mercantilism' on the Contraptions blog draws a parallel between current anxieties about artificial intelligence and historical fears surrounding the rise of early capitalism. The article frames today's concerns about AI as part of a broader pattern in which new economic systems provoke unease about wealth, labor, and control. The author uses the mercantilism analogy to examine how cognitive work and knowledge may be treated as valuable resources to be hoarded or controlled. The post was shared on Hacker News, where it received a few points but no comments at the time of capture.

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