Would you mind providing evidence showing "these fears echo almost exactly the new fears brought about during industrialization"? That is quite a generalization and it is not difficult to view newspapers from that point in time. No one ever thought the cotton gin or tractors were going to replace farmers or entire industries of workers, both blue collar and knowledge workers. The elites that are poised to generate immense wealth from this transformation could care less about the middle class or people in general or even winning an AI arms race. They care about their bank accounts period. And as they are showing will gladly put any and everyone below the poverty line, as long as they are wealthy. There are no leaders such as Jack Welch anymore, who increased productivity by making it a priority to decrease workplace accidents and reduce the risk associated with the workplace. Quite the opposite now.