Stop the Machines
The Rise of Anti-Technology Extremism
As we stand on the cusp of an AI revolution, will we see the rise of a new anti-technology extremism that threatens to dismantle the gains of modern civilization?
In the first exploration of this phenomenon, Mauro Lubrano traces the origins and evolution of anti-technology violence across the globe. He identifies three main groups fuelling such resistance: insurrectionary anarchists, eco-extremists, and eco-fascists. Exploring the justifications that underlie the opposition to technology and the strategies employed to 'stop the machines', he shows how anti-tech extremism has emerged as a reaction to the Anthropocene - an attempt to undo the epoch of human domination. The intellectual flexibility of this ideology lends itself to different causes, from the class struggle against the techno-elites to the defence of nature and white supremacy. With fears about the risks of artificial intelligence mounting and the world beset by serious 'polycrises', what is currently a fragmented, fringe phenomenon holds the potential for dramatic escalation.
Introduction
1. Long Live King Ludd!
2. Smash the Prison-Society: Insurrectionary Anarchism
3. Nature Fights Back: Eco-Extremism
4. Anti-Tech to Accelerate: Eco-Fascism
5. The Fight to End Civilisation
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Audrey Cronin, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology
"Anti-technology extremism has a long, tangled past and includes figures as diverse as the Unabomber and those contemporary activists who oppose AI. Mauro Lubrano's impressive and original book examines this long history in fascinating ways, exploring the complexities of extremists who are hostile to technology-based society."
Richard English, author of Does Counter-Terrorism Work?
"A timely and thought-provoking analysis of the burgeoning anti-technology movement. Stop the Machines is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the profound anxieties and grievances fuelling this form of extremism."
Yannick Veilleux-Lepage, Royal Military College of Canada
"A compelling and timely examination of the rise of anti-technology extremism. Insightful and meticulously researched, this book unravels the intricate relationship between technological advancement and radical resistance. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand this critical issue, the importance of which will only continue to grow."
Bernhard Blumenau, University of St Andrews
"Hate-inspired violence against technology has a worrying future. Mauro Lubrano's Stop the Machines is essential reading to understand how we got here and what might happen next."
Manuel R. Torres Soriano, Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla
"A penetrating and accessible analysis of some of today's most important radical groups. Lubrano's warning about the threat of anti-technology extremism may well prove to be prophetic."
Sean Fleming, University of Nottingham