Once again, the future of technology is being engineered in secret by a handful of people and delivered to the rest of us as a sealed, seamless, perfect device. When technology is designed in secrecy and sold to us as a black box, we are reduced to consumers. We wait for updates. We adapt to features. We don’t shape the tools; they shape us. This is a problem. And not just for tinkerers and technologists, but for all of us.
We are living through a crisis of disempowerment. Children are more anxious than ever; the former US surgeon general described a loneliness epidemic; people are increasingly worried about AI eroding education. The beautiful devices we use have been correlated with many of these trends. Now AI—arguably the most powerful technology of our era—is moving off the screen and into physical space.
The timing is not a coincidence. Hardware is having a renaissance. Every major tech company is investing in physical interfaces for AI. Startups are raising capital to build robots, glasses, wearables that track our every move. The form factor of AI is the next battlefield. Do we really want our future mediated entirely through interfaces we can’t open, code we can’t see, and decisions we can’t influence?
This moment creates an existential opening, a chance to do things differently. Because away from the self-centeredness of Silicon Valley, a quiet, grounded sense of resistance is reactivating. I’m calling it the revenge of the makers.
In 2007, as the iPhone emerged, the maker movement was taking shape. This subculture advocates for learning-through-making in social environments like hackerspaces and libraries. DIY and open hardware enthusiasts gathered in person at Maker Faires—large events where people of all ages tinkered and shared their inventions in 3D printing, robotics, electronics, and more. Motivated by fun, self-fulfillment, and shared learning, the movement birthed companies like MakerBot, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and littleBits from garages and kitchen tables. I myself wanted to challenge the notion that technology had to be intimidating or inaccessible, creating modular electronic building blocks designed to empower everyone.
By definition, the maker movement is humble and consistent. Makers do not believe in the cult of individual genius; we believe in collective genius. We believe that creativity is universally distributed, that inventing is better together, and that we should make open products so people can observe, learn, and create—basically, the polar opposite of what Jony Ive and Sam Altman are building.
But over time, the momentum faded. The movement was dismissed as niche and hobbyist, and pressures on the hardware venture market made people retreat from social spaces to spend more time behind screens.
Now it’s mounting a powerful second act, joined by a wave of AI open-source enthusiasts. This time around the stakes are higher, and we need to give it the support it never had.
In 2024, Hugging Face developed an open-source platform for AI robots, which already has 3,500+ robot data sets and draws thousands of participants from every continent. Raspberry Pi went public on the London Stock Exchange for $700 million. Maker Faires returned with nearly 30,000 attendees at the latest event, and over 100 Maker Faires are scheduled worldwide. DIY.org relaunched its app, and Roya Mahboob’s Afghan Girls Robotics Team released a highly acclaimed movie about their work.
Studies show that hands-on creativity reduces anxiety, combats loneliness, and boosts cognitive function. Making grounds us, connects us to others, and reminds us that we can shape the world with our own hands.
The goal isn’t to reject AI hardware but to oppose the proprietary, elite model of innovation. Instead, we should support open, inclusive, and hackable tools—fostering a world that’s more innovative, fun, and participatory.
This is about fighting for a future of openness and joy versus conformity and consumption. It’s about children learning to build, not just swipe. It’s shared creativity, not the privilege of lone geniuses.
As Sam Altman suggests, technology can make us better. Yet, history shows that without broad participation, innovation becomes a means of control. The real turning point isn’t just new products but the message that anyone can build and innovate.
Why wait for the next big product when the real revolution is already in our basements and classrooms? The future of technology is what we make of it.
Ayah Bdeir, a leader in the maker movement and founder of littleBits, emphasizes the importance of open source innovation. Her work and advocacy aim to democratize technology and empower creators of all ages.
[Read more about the open hardware movement](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/06/18/1118943/ai-hardware-open/) and the resurgence of maker culture.
