Bracing for Our AI "John Henry Moment"

A Perspective on the Past, Present, and Future of AI

The legend of John Henry reverberates through the annals of American folklore. John Henry, an African American freedman, was renowned as a "steel-driving man" – his job was to hammer a steel drill into rock, carving out space for explosives to blast the rock apart and construct railroad tunnels. His legend was cemented in a blues folk song, known in countless versions and immortalized in numerous stories, plays, books, and novels.

The story culminates in a thrilling yet tragic race. John Henry, with his superhuman prowess, challenged a steam-powered rock drilling machine to a contest. His task was twofold: drive the steel drill into the mountain rock, and then clear the chippings away. The steam drill, while powerful, could only drill; it couldn't clear the debris, leading to frequent breakdowns. Despite the odds, John Henry won this race against the machine. But his victory was bittersweet; he died with his hammer in hand, his heart giving out from the strain.