Thomas Frank Critiques the Cult of Innovation and AI Orthodoxy
Author Thomas Frank argues that the business obsession with innovation masks deeper economic inequality.
1The Innovation Racket
Author Thomas Frank argues that the modern business obsession with innovation is a seventy-year-old ideology. Tracing its roots to Madison Avenue ad-man Alex Osborn, Frank posits that the term was weaponized to favor white-collar professionals. He suggests this framework has historically marginalized blue-collar workers, framing their labor as inherently uncreative and disposable.
2Origins of Brainstorming
Frank highlights that the term brainstorming originated from Alex Osborn, a key figure at BBDO. Originally describing a mental seizure, Osborn repurposed it into a militaristic business concept. Frank spent a week in Buffalo reviewing Osborn’s archives, concluding that the promotion of creativity was a deliberate strategy to define economic prosperity.
3AI and Creative Displacement
The rise of generative AI has brought the innovation gospel to the creative class itself. Frank notes that just as automation devastated communities like his native Kansas City, AI now threatens white-collar jobs. He observes that the same rhetoric used to justify past industrial displacement is now being applied to knowledge workers.
4Archival Research Evolution
Frank’s relationship with technology is complex. While he acknowledges that AI has revolutionized archival work by making vast historical datasets searchable, he remains skeptical of its reliability. He recalls asking an LLM about song lyrics, only to receive confident but incorrect answers, illustrating the technology's tendency to hallucinate and replicate errors.
5The Danger of Orthodoxy
A primary concern for Frank is that AI models prioritize existing authority over objective truth. He argues that LLMs treat expert consensus as absolute, which stifles critical inquiry. Because expertise evolves constantly, he fears that relying on AI will reinforce a rigid orthodoxy that discourages the necessary, messy process of digging for facts.
6Punk as True Innovation
Contrasting corporate innovation with authentic cultural shifts, Frank cites the punk rock movement as a rare, genuine example of creativity. He notes that punk was unauthorized and driven by unemployed, working-class individuals. Unlike the Osbornian model, this explosion of creativity was not celebrated by the establishment at the time of its emergence.
7Class Over Generation
Frank dismisses the common focus on generational labels, arguing that social class remains the true motor behind economic history. He recalls his childhood in a neighborhood where General Motors engineers and assembly line workers shared a similar standard of living. He believes this economic reality has been obscured by modern business narratives.
8Call for Independent Thought
Reflecting on his 1997 anthology, Commodify Your Dissent, Frank admits he identified the New Gilded Age early but received no reward for his foresight. He urges professionals to move beyond corporate buzzwords and AI-generated consensus. His ultimate advice is to think for oneself, conduct original research, and question established institutional narratives.
Original article: Fortune — Thomas Frank Critiques the Cult of Innovation and AI Orthodoxy