To be clear, I believe AI will be a profound net positive. If it helps cure cancer in the next decade, millions of lives could be saved. My concern is what happens to the meritocratic promise of the postwar era. As intelligence and labor become less scarce, that promise may disappear. We need to make sure whatever replaces it benefits everyone, not just the few who control the technology.
It’s deeply disturbing that an AI system unavailable to the public solved NS in what seems like less than a week. It’s hard to overstate the power that a small number of people at OpenAI and Anthropic hold.
The American dream rests on the belief that anyone can achieve greatness through hard work and intelligence. When intelligence and work themselves are hoarded, what does that dream become?