The Technophobia Trap: How America Lost Its Nerve in the Age of AI

Why is America uniquely terrified of AI while the world races ahead? The arguments driving that fear often collapse under scrutiny—real concerns go unaddressed.

In this Talk Cocktail podcast, economist and author of the Noahopinion Substack, Noah Smith helps us understand what happened to American optimism—and why our fear may be built on foundations far shakier than we realize.

Somewhere between our childhood dreams of robot friends and today’s reality of having them in our pockets, America lost its nerve.

While China, India, South Korea, and even traditionally cautious Europe race toward artificial intelligence with enthusiasm, the United States stands alone—the most terrified nation on earth about a technology we’re simultaneously pioneering. The disconnect is as profound as it is puzzling: the same country that wired itself for the internet faster than anyone else, that sent people to the moon when computers had less power than a modern toaster, now trembles at the prospect of tools that could democratize knowledge itself.

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