We locked down society to buy us time to contain COVID-19. Instead of contact tracing, our decayed institutions delivered economic calamity and no remedy. Now, we must live with the virus.

The hype surrounding AI automation has led many companies to rush into disastrous implementation. Rather than a response to proven results, automation looks more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

During Britain’s early industrial revolution, wages stagnated as productivity accelerated, resulting in radical movements and social conflicts. As technology reshapes industries today, the lessons of this period can help us navigate modern political tumult.

A scientific and technocratic philosophy of management was developed in the 20th century. With many of its most-prized skills now being automated, a return to human judgment will be central to the fourth industrial revolution.