Comment by _doctor_love

> enabling some great social change as well by simply economically obsoleting slave labor

In my view that's a very charitable reading and sadly I don't think it aligns with the historical record. When the cotton gin was invented, there was a hope it would lead to a reduction in slavery. But of course it increased the demand for slaves since more cotton could now be processed, making cotton much more profitable. Slavery ended in the United States because a war was fought, not because of automation.