History of Panic Surrounding Technological Innovations

Panic tends to follow each technological leap. Artificial intelligence is the latest to stir concern.

Back in 1862, The Lancet offered an in-depth piece named “The Influence of Railway Travelling on Public Health.” This analysis coincided with the advent of the railroad, which also introduced the phenomenon of train accidents. The media vividly depicted these incidents, though that was only part of the story.

Experts of that era expressed concerns that increasing train speeds would lead to passenger suffocation or that gazing at swiftly passing landscapes might damage perception permanently. Some even claimed that the human body was not designed to withstand such high speeds.