> because we’ve always done automation at scale, everything we do is automation

I'm weirdly attached to this line. Physical automation a.k.a. factories are not portable. The manufacturing techniques are, but to "spin up" a new factory requires expertise, effort and capital. In contrast to software, replication can be done quite effortlessly, with containers and such tools, it's easily a one-man job.

Writing, coding and art are not meant to be repetitive, scalable tasks. I think that's what's driving the core of the backlash. If these forms of human expressions can be automated, then why would we need to apply our mental capacity at all?