John Henry AI Parallel - Revision history

Kirk at 19:45, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:45:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:45, 15 August 2026
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	[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]		[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]
	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__

			[[File:John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg\|John Henry Adams]]

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]		[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]

Kirk at 19:40, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:40:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:40, 15 August 2026
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	\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity		\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity
	\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg		\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg

			\|image_width=100

			\|image_height=200

	\|type=article		\|type=article
	}}		}}

Kirk at 19:33, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:33:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:33, 15 August 2026
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	\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity		\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity
	\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg		\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg
	~~\|image_width=300~~
	~~\|image_height=200~~
	\|type=article		\|type=article
	}}		}}

Kirk at 19:28, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:28:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 15 August 2026
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	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]		[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]

	[https://ufcw324.org/john-henry-folk-hero/ Story of John Henry]		[https://ufcw324.org/john-henry-folk-hero/ Story of John Henry- Labor History]

	<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">		<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">

Kirk at 19:28, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:28:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 15 August 2026
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	\|description=An examination of the American folk hero John Henry as a metaphor for artificial intelligence, automation, work, identity, and the future of human labor.		\|description=An examination of the American folk hero John Henry as a metaphor for artificial intelligence, automation, work, identity, and the future of human labor.
	\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity		\|keywords=John Henry, artificial intelligence, AI, automation, mechanization, work, labor, technology, productivity, employment, identity
	\|image=~~File~~:~~John_Henry_Hammer~~.~~png~~		\|image=https://wikidemocracy.us/images/a/a0/John-Henry-Adams-1918-KK2.jpg
	\|image_width=300		\|image_width=300
	\|image_height=200		\|image_height=200
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	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]		[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]

			[https://ufcw324.org/john-henry-folk-hero/ Story of John Henry]

	<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">		<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">

Kirk at 19:15, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:15:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:15, 15 August 2026
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	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=~~KL-gMZnvSNo~~&list=~~RDKL-gMZnvSNo~~&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by ~~Lead Belly~~]		[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE307ZO3AvM&list=RDFE307ZO3AvM&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Woody Guthrie]

	<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">		<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">

Kirk at 19:12, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:12:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:12, 15 August 2026
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	[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]		[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]
	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__

			[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL-gMZnvSNo&list=RDKL-gMZnvSNo&start_radio=1 Ballad of John Henry by Lead Belly]

	<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">		<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">
	John Henry when he was a baby		John Henry when he was a baby

Kirk at 19:05, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:05:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:05, 15 August 2026
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	[[Category:Technology]]		[[Category:Technology]]
	[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]		[[Category:Philosophy of Technology]]

	__NOTOC__		__NOTOC__

	<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">		<poem style="font-family: serif; font-style: italic;">
	John Henry when he was a baby		John Henry when he was a baby
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	It'll be your buryin' day day day		It'll be your buryin' day day day
	It'll be your buryin' day!"		It'll be your buryin' day!"

	~~You might also like~~
	~~John Henry~~
	~~Bruce Springsteen~~
	~~John Henry~~
	~~Doc Watson~~
	~~John Henry~~
	~~Pete Seeger~~

	Now the Shaker said to John Henry		Now the Shaker said to John Henry

Kirk at 19:04, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T19:04:14Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-```wiki
 {{#seo:
 |title=John Henry and Artificial Intelligence: Why Winning Against the Machine May Still Mean Losing
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 __NOTOC__
 == John Henry and Artificial Intelligence: Why Winning Against the Machine May Still Mean Losing ==

Kirk at 18:59, 15 August 2026

2026-08-15T18:59:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:59, 15 August 2026
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			```wiki
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=John Henry and Artificial Intelligence: Why Winning Against the Machine May Still Mean Losing		\|title=John Henry and Artificial Intelligence: Why Winning Against the Machine May Still Mean Losing
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	Rather than asking whether humans can outperform AI, the story of John Henry asks a deeper question:		Rather than asking whether humans can outperform AI, the story of John Henry asks a deeper question:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''What happens to people when machines become capable of doing their work?'''
	'''What happens to people when machines become capable of doing their work?'''
	}}

	=== The Traditional Story ===		=== The Traditional Story ===
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	The employer's question is rarely:		The employer's question is rarely:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''Can AI outperform my best employee?'''
	Can AI outperform my best employee?
	}}

	Instead, the question becomes:		Instead, the question becomes:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''Can AI perform enough of this work, cheaply enough and quickly enough, that I need fewer employees?'''
	Can AI perform enough of this work, cheaply enough and quickly enough, that I need fewer employees?
	}}

	That is a much lower threshold.		That is a much lower threshold.
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	People often say:		People often say:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''"AI won't replace accountants. Accountants using AI will replace accountants who don't."'''
	"AI won't replace accountants. Accountants using AI will replace accountants who don't."
	}}

	There is truth in that statement.		There is truth in that statement.
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	He effectively accepted this proposition:		He effectively accepted this proposition:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''My value depends upon beating the machine at the machine's own game.'''
	'''My value depends upon beating the machine at the machine's own game.'''
	}}

	Once that premise is accepted, there is no satisfying outcome.		Once that premise is accepted, there is no satisfying outcome.
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	Artificial intelligence therefore threatens something that productivity statistics rarely measure:		Artificial intelligence therefore threatens something that productivity statistics rarely measure:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''The relationship between work and human identity.'''
	'''The relationship between work and human identity.'''
	}}

	When someone loses an occupation, telling that person society has become more productive does not answer the deeper question:		When someone loses an occupation, telling that person society has become more productive does not answer the deeper question:

	~~{{Quotation\|~~		'''What am I for now?'''
	'''What am I for now?'''
	}}

	=== The John Henry Story Is Being Told Again ===		=== The John Henry Story Is Being Told Again ===
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	__TOC__		__TOC__
			```