The speaker recognizes the importance of technological progress but suggests that we should take a more thoughtful approach, like the Amish, in considering the impact of these changes. He highlights the Amish community's practice of discussing and evaluating new technologies before deciding to adopt them. The speaker believes that society should also pause and consider the consequences of advancements in agriculture and artificial intelligence, rather than blindly embracing them without questioning their effects.
James Rebanks's family has raised sheep in the same small English village for at least four centuries. There are records of people with his same last name going back a few hundred more. Even his sheep are rooted in place: their DNA is from Viking times. It's enough to make anyone feel insignificant--and according to Rebanks, that's a wonderful thing. Listen as the author of The Shepherd's Life speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the deep pleasures and humbling privilege of being a sheep farmer.