Simon Steyne argues that modern democracy is rooted in the working-class militancy which was made possible by the Industrial Revolution, and that in replacing human labour, artificial intelligence (AI) could undermine democracy (Letters, 19 January).
Although such labour militancy was certainly important in this respect in Europe, it hardly accounts for the revolutions in the US in the 18th century, France in 1830 or the largely peasant‑based movements in countries such India. Neither does it explain the success of movements such as that of the Suffragettes.
As it is, democratic revolutions are invariably rooted in coalitions of different classes coming together in a common cause, as has been seen in numerous successful non‑violent protests – for example, the Otpor movement against Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia in 2000 or the pro‑democracy movements in Ukraine in 2004 and 2014.
A would-be autocracy of billionaires championing AI is likely to be countered by a coalition of dissenters ranging across classes whose livelihood is thus imperilled. And, we may note, time and again even the most oppressive autocrats have fallen to such coalitions engaging in non‑violent protest.
David Hardiman
Emeritus professor, University of Warwick
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