Opposition to new technology is historically futile—like the Luddites smashing machines—so fighting AI is like yelling at the weather; the only rational response is to adapt and use it.
Sean argues that being anti-AI is a losing position, comparing it to the Luddites who were executed for smashing industrial machines. He says young people have no excuse not to adapt, calling the victim mindset a loser mentality, and insisting that the AI freight train cannot be stopped—only one's response to it matters. ✦ AI generated
Sean · My First Million · 2026-07-23 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 37:27
Just like Ned Lud and the Luddites found out, it didn't matter how many windows you smashed. This shit's happening. It's like getting mad at the weather. It's like it's going to rain whether you shake your fist at the sky or not. Like you have zero chance of slowing down AI. The AI freight train has left the station. It is happening. And so all you should really worry about is what you can control, which is your reaction and response to the new playing field. Trying to argue that the new playing field is bad is sort of stupid to me. ... If you're 18, 19, you didn't know anything. Hop on this train. This train is exciting. This train has like so much room to run. ... More people than ever are going to create new things. More people than ever are going to become successful. More people than ever are going to become millionaires out of this.
verbatim transcript · starts at 37:27
37:14because I think you potentially might know this is I think the popular smart people which I think we're relatively popular. I don't think I'm that smart but I think the popular smart people the narrative is going to change. It's not and this is and it's self uh serving to have this narrative particularly if you're a president or whatever but the narrative is going to change that this
37:34is going to be a massive net positive and they're going to cite Javon's paradox and they're going to excite everything that I've just said which isn't particularly unique and nothing I'm saying is unique >> dude I see this all the time it's like yeah this is going to be great for you if you make it great for you people are just sitting back as like the recipient
37:52of this and it's like is this hand going to slap me or is it going to put you grapes in my mouth. And it's like, well, it depends. Like, it depends what you do. Are you learning how to use this [ __ ] Are you paying attention to what's going on? Are you thinking about how you can use this in your field? Are you talking to smart people? Are you moving
38:08where the puck is going or not? Like, I feel like people are so passive about like what's going to happen as if everything is happening to you and that none of this is happening potentially for you and that you have no agency to be generative and democratize this technology for yourself. The reason I was studying the lites is I think that same movement is already happening right
38:29now and it's going to continue to happen. You know, you saw like at this um recent college graduation speeches like Steve or Solomon, I forget his first name. Solomon, the CEO of Goldman was like talking about AI and everyone was booing. >> Yeah. People walked out, right? [laughter] >> The reason I'm bringing this up is if you go back and study the Gilded Age, which I that's one of my favorite eras,
38:48as well as the industrial revolution, it's all just repeats itself. Everything's repeating itself. It's it's like the it's very very very similar over and over and over and over again. This is all quite predictable. Now the time and the how is who knows, but like the general trend. It's all been there, done that. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy to me that it's become like a high status thing to do to
39:13be anti- data centers and AI and things like that. It's like really really >> that's not fair. I don't think that's fair. I I I don't think we should dismiss it. I think they're stupid. I understand their sentiment. Can you imagine being 18 or 21 years old? First of all, if you're 21 years old, you [ __ ] graduated high school during COVID. That sucks. Okay. The world
39:33changed dramatically over the last four years to the point where you uh you were expecting to get a job at Deote and or as a law clerk or whatever, like you know, and they're like, "Nah, we don't need you, dog." Like there is anger which I understand but I think that the way that they acting me to put my mind in the mind of a loser and I just can't