Turkish academics conceptualize AI-induced fear of job loss as 'post-Luddism'

By Serhat Zafer

SIVAS, Türkiye (AA) - Turkish academics conducted a study that described the fear of losing jobs due to artificial intelligence (AI) as "post-Luddism."

Luddism originated from a movement in England during the early 19th century. Artisans led the movement, protesting the increasing adoption of machinery in production. People believed that using machines led to unemployment and worsened working conditions. This belief often led to the destruction of machines in raids.

​​​​​​​Academics from Sivas Cumhuriyet University, along with researchers from Pakistan Punjab University and Serbia Belgrade University, studied the effects of AI on communication-related professions.

Sefer Darici, the project coordinator, highlighted the growing concern to Anadolu about job loss with integrating AI technologies into daily life.

"In communication fields like public relations, advertising and journalism, AI's influence is increasingly felt, raising fears of unemployment among professionals," he said.

The study, published in the journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change, introduced the concept of "post-Luddism" to the literature.

"We are also working on getting the term into the Oxford dictionary as the word of the year in 2024," said Darici.

He emphasized the "difficulty" in distinguishing AI-generated content from reality, posing "challenges" for professionals, especially journalists.

While acknowledging AI's potential to streamline tasks for graphic designers, Darici stressed the importance of adapting to the technologies to enhance productivity and job security.

He added: "This is where being qualified and adapting to AI technologies and being able to use them becomes more important than being a journalist, a graphic designer or an advertiser."

- Study aimed ‘to create a new area of discussion'

Zekiye Tamer Gencer from the public relations and advertising department at SCU emphasized that AI can work with capabilities "far beyond" human intelligence. Still, it can "never" convey human emotions and excitement.

"Since people cannot dismantle AI like they did with a hatchet, how will they cope with it? Essentially, this study aims to create a new area of discussion," she said.

Gulay Demir, a vocational School of Health Services member, expressed satisfaction in coining the term "post-Luddism" and integrating two distinct methodologies to analyze AI's decision-making processes.

Researchers hope their contributions will lead to further discussions and considerations of AI's evolving landscape and implications for the workforce.

*Writing by Muhammed Yasin Gungor