I suspect this is the true fermi paradox. Once a civilization reaches a certain point, automation becomes harmful to the point that no one knows how do anything on their own. Societal collapse may be back to bronze age, if not more regressed.
You don't need AI for this. So much individual productivity depends on the civilization-level platform. Even when you decide to bootstrap stuff and do it from scratch, you're still operating in an environment deeply shaped by the billions of other people around and before you.
