I don't think what you really seek is a world free of automation, what you are actually upset about is the capitalist system. Liberalism made itself so totalitarian that it made itself invisible, it just "is" like a force of nature. So "automation driven by capitalism to maximize profit and redistribute wealth to the super rich" just becomes "automation" in peoples heads, people can't even articulate their grievances with it any more.
Don't forget that science is separate, we are driven to innovate and invent as human beings, people spend their entire lives working on niche hyper specific math problems, collectively that leads to innovation and practical purposes like automation. Most scientists aren't in it for the money, we would have scientists even if there were no neoliberals. Capitalism is a separate driving force from science, there is nothing inherent about innovation and knowledge that is bad, its capitalism with its sole purpose to seek profit maximization at all cost and despite any and all negative consequences is what is hurting us.
Don't forget that science is separate, we are driven to innovate and invent as human beings, people spend their entire lives working on niche hyper specific math problems, collectively that leads to innovation and practical purposes like automation. Most scientists aren't in it for the money, we would have scientists even if there were no neoliberals. Capitalism is a separate driving force from science, there is nothing inherent about innovation and knowledge that is bad, its capitalism with its sole purpose to seek profit maximization at all cost and despite any and all negative consequences is what is hurting us.