AI, and superintelligence more specifically, has the potential to be radically equitable in its consequences. That is the larger point of a memo Mark Zuckerberg published this week, “The Future is for Everyone: The Path to a Positive AI Future.”
While the memo discusses the superintelligence that Meta is developing, his observations apply to AI and LLMs generally.
Among his observations about how AI can be used by the average person, Zuckerberg writes that “Everyone will have a personalized tutor and coach with a PhD in every subject” and “Everyone will have incredible tools for creation to express your ideas.” The internet put a world of information within reach of the average person, but with AI, that information transforms into the wisest tutor to ever exist.
Whether it is starting a business, studying financial markets, or simply learning a language, AI radically enables individuals to unlock their human capital. Before recent digital innovations, a great deal of knowledge in this world was relatively inaccessible. Without an expensive MBA, a high level of financial literacy was rare. Without an equally costly JD, navigating regulatory challenges was difficult. AI changes that; it is the ultimate equalizer.
In this sense, AI is one of the most equitable technologies ever created. It empowers individuals, giving them the ability to take their destiny into their own hands. With tools like ChatGPT available, people can learn almost anything, at their own pace and in a bespoke format.
Data available on AI adoption and impact on the job market seems to disprove the pessimistic view taken by some Silicon Valley types that AI will concentrate wealth and create a “permanent underclass,” through the elimination of human labor. Those who hold that view believe that we have only a few years to accumulate capital before the chance disappears forever.
The data tells another story. As I have written about previously, Ramp data shows that the firms using AI the most have actually increased entry-level headcount. Research by the New York Federal Reserve finds that “while AI adoption is rising quickly across industries, firms report very few AI-driven layoffs,” and that “some firms are reducing hiring because AI automates tasks, while others are increasing hiring for AI-proficient workers.” We’ll continue to monitor the impact of AI as the technology progresses, but the preliminary data paints a much different picture than the narrative pushed by the doom-sayers.
In the real world, outside of the Silicon Valley echo chamber, people are using AI to be more innovative than ever and to create real value, both for themselves and for others. Zuckerberg’s assertion of a “Positive AI Future” is correct because that future, the future where AI is instrumental in enabling humans to improve their own lives, is already here.
