Amir H. Payberah - 2025-06-01

I recently came across the project Knit, Code, Resist by Matilda Arvidsson and was really impressed. The project explores how knitting, often seen as soft, slow, and domestic, can become a quiet but powerful form of resistance against AI and surveillance.

In a world where algorithms constantly watch, sort, and make decisions about us, knitting offers a different kind of response. Rooted in care and community, it slows things down and brings attention back to the body, the tactile, the human.

However, this is not entirely new. During World War II, knitting was used to pass coded messages; what looked like an ordinary scarf could carry vital information. Today, through the Knit, Code, Resist workshops, artists and scholars are reviving this history, learning about the risks of AI while knitting anti-surveillance garments, e.g., to confuse facial recognition systems.

But it is not only about tricking machines. It is about slowing down, working with our hands, and connecting with others. Resistance does not always have to be loud; it can be quiet, creative, and rooted in care. In a world of fast tech and hidden control, picking up the needles can be a small but radical act.