Taking a historical perspective on technology reveals that the common narrative of letting technology progress without intervention leading to automatic benefits for all is a misreading of history. Past disruptive technologies, like the agricultural advancements pre-1700s and the British Industrial Revolution, did not initially benefit workers due to coercive systems and automation sidelining workers. The Industrial Revolution's first 100 years saw working conditions worsen, real incomes decline, and hours intensify, mirroring concerns with AI today. The lesson is that improved outcomes did not result automatically from technological progress, highlighting the need for deliberate interventions and considerations of the impact on workers.