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 Pathways to Progress appearance
 
 
 
 March 2026 
 
 
 

 Author : Gavin
 

 
 
 
 Gavin did a Q&A with the Pathways to Progress reading group. Writeup making him sound coherent here .

 
 PTP: There seems to be a strong narrative about AI coming from the people building these systems—many of whom have clear stakes in their success. At the same time, anecdotally, there also appears to be significant resistance among ordinary people. For example, at a high school I’m familiar with, it is socially uncool to use AI. In computer science classes, students who rely on AI to generate code are looked down upon. It feels like there is a real cultural tension. I was not around for earlier technological transitions, but it is hard to imagine high school students reacting this way to personal computers or smartphones. Is this backlash unique to AI? What explains it? 

 
 
 First, skepticism is not limited to the general public. Many academics, even in 2026, remain unconvinced. In part, this may reflect early experiences: people tried the models two years ago, found them unimpressive, and have not revisited them since. Rapid progress means that impressions can quickly become outdated.

 
 
 Among young people, there is also a cultural element. I teach teenagers, and perhaps 15 to 20 percent take pride in writing everything by hand. Whether or not they believe AI systems are capable, they see reliance on them as socially undesirable. That reaction is not surprising; new tools often clash with identity and norms, especially when the norms are associated with older generations or corporate culture.

 
 
 More broadly, backlash to AI is not historically unusual. Throughout the history of technology, people have resisted adoption. Electric light had to compete with gas lighting. Trains had to overcome public fear. Major innovations routinely require persuasion, marketing, and social normalization. Resistance is a standard human response to large-scale change.

 
 
 At the same time, AI appears to be one of the fastest-adopted technologies in history, likely even faster than smartphones. There is also evidence that usage is underreported. For example, workplace studies have shown that when people are asked whether their coworkers use AI—rather than whether they themselves do—reported usage rises significantly. One Microsoft study suggested that roughly half of workplace AI use was undisclosed at the time.

 
 
 Regarding backlash, it is entirely possible for AI to be both the fastest-adopted technology in history and the subject of a highly organized counter-movement. There are numerous reasons people might oppose it: concerns about plagiarism, job displacement, aesthetic degradation of creative work, erosion of small online communities, misinformation, and increasing centralization of economic power. In extreme scenarios, critics wor

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