Luddites had the right of things all the way back in the 1800s. When textile factory owners in early 19th century England used the industrialization of their industry as an excuse to underpay and overwork employees in dangerous, dehumanizing conditions, the secret organization of workers set about smashing the machines of the capitalists who exploited them. Today, the Writers' Guild of America faces a similar threat from those in control of a new transformative technology, generative AI, and it's part of the reason they're currently on strike for better working conditions. On March 7, 2023, WGA members voted to approve the 2023 Pattern of Demands by a count of 5,553 voting yes to 90 no's. On Tuesday morning, more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America shut Hollywood down for the first time since 2007 when they last had to fight for their livelihoods.

Face recognition has spread from airports to soccer games to elementary schools and now, farms and stables. Global food giant Cargill announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Cainthus, an Irish computer vision company, to pilot face recognition technology on cows starting this year. Privacy advocates may be less concerned by the threat of an encroaching bovine panopticon, but the worldwide pilot speaks to how both AI and face recognition technologies are slowly being embedded in all aspects of modern life. In a press release, Cainthus said the plan is to use face recognition to track the behavior, eating patterns, and overall health of livestock, then send instant alerts directly to farmers. By installing cameras in feeding areas, AI will scan cows' faces, then determine a baseline of typical behavior.