I want to commend you on a very (not almost) timely thought piece. I’ve been ruminating around the implications of this “Intelligence Revolution”, but have lacked the thinking time, commitment, and skill to synthesize it in such a thoughtful and compelling away. This belongs alongside Ted Gioia’s State of the Culture 2024 as a must-read for anyone who believes that technology is not inherently bad, but could fuel a bad future outcome for all of us when technology is concentrated in the hands of a small number of actors who don’t prioritize human and societal progress over profit. Similar to climate change and democracy—with AI—we have to act individually and collectively with thoughtful intentionality quickly before we reach a tipping point that leads to violent responses and great(er) suffering. Thanks Chris for thinking these big thoughts and sharing them with us.
Is it sad that one of my first thoughts while reading this article was: damn, I wish I bought NVIDA stock years ago?
On a serious note, this article addresses what has the makings of a cataclysmic change the likes of which we have never experienced before in such a short period of time.
Appreciate you not only highlighting the problems, but suggesting some solutions, even if I don't agree with all of them.
As it relates to tradesmen, we need to continue pivoting away from bloated expensive 4 year college degrees into shorter 2 year degrees, or apprenticeship programs. The days of some looking down their noses at tradesmen will come to an end as they are the ones with steady jobs while their white collar customers are out of a job.
Very nice overview of the last number of major trends trends in history, etc. So, why do you think trust is going down with AI. I have a link to a post I did on LinkedIn about this.
Interesting weekly newsletter as always. Chock full of thoughtfulness.
I wonder, when you talk about what you are reading, if you had read Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant. The first part of the book is an incredible deep look into the context behind the 'Luddites' resetting commonly held beliefs. The usual situation where the winner rewrites history, the Luddites were considered as anti-technology, when Merchant shows that was not the case. In the second half of the book he provides his thoughts on how this may pan out in the future, in particular with AI.
It opened my eyes into how I thought of Luddites - with a new appreciation of what they were trying to do - and those who followed their path later. Nones of would have the lives we have today unless someone was willing to stand up. As you so aptly point out that those various revolutions started as people pushed for better lives and this may happen again with a revolution wrought by AI.
An important point I am not sure you quite covered is that, in the past, technology has tended to eliminate what might be considered low-level, low-paying jobs. Granted many of them. AI, however, has the possibility to wipe out higher skilled, and higher paid, work.
I want to commend you on a very (not almost) timely thought piece. I’ve been ruminating around the implications of this “Intelligence Revolution”, but have lacked the thinking time, commitment, and skill to synthesize it in such a thoughtful and compelling away. This belongs alongside Ted Gioia’s State of the Culture 2024 as a must-read for anyone who believes that technology is not inherently bad, but could fuel a bad future outcome for all of us when technology is concentrated in the hands of a small number of actors who don’t prioritize human and societal progress over profit. Similar to climate change and democracy—with AI—we have to act individually and collectively with thoughtful intentionality quickly before we reach a tipping point that leads to violent responses and great(er) suffering. Thanks Chris for thinking these big thoughts and sharing them with us.
Is it sad that one of my first thoughts while reading this article was: damn, I wish I bought NVIDA stock years ago?
On a serious note, this article addresses what has the makings of a cataclysmic change the likes of which we have never experienced before in such a short period of time.
Appreciate you not only highlighting the problems, but suggesting some solutions, even if I don't agree with all of them.
As it relates to tradesmen, we need to continue pivoting away from bloated expensive 4 year college degrees into shorter 2 year degrees, or apprenticeship programs. The days of some looking down their noses at tradesmen will come to an end as they are the ones with steady jobs while their white collar customers are out of a job.
Very nice overview of the last number of major trends trends in history, etc. So, why do you think trust is going down with AI. I have a link to a post I did on LinkedIn about this.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/allenmweiss_ai-benefits-miss-the-mark-a-new-study-below-activity-7171595467343036417-Gkcw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Interesting weekly newsletter as always. Chock full of thoughtfulness.
I wonder, when you talk about what you are reading, if you had read Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant. The first part of the book is an incredible deep look into the context behind the 'Luddites' resetting commonly held beliefs. The usual situation where the winner rewrites history, the Luddites were considered as anti-technology, when Merchant shows that was not the case. In the second half of the book he provides his thoughts on how this may pan out in the future, in particular with AI.
It opened my eyes into how I thought of Luddites - with a new appreciation of what they were trying to do - and those who followed their path later. Nones of would have the lives we have today unless someone was willing to stand up. As you so aptly point out that those various revolutions started as people pushed for better lives and this may happen again with a revolution wrought by AI.
An important point I am not sure you quite covered is that, in the past, technology has tended to eliminate what might be considered low-level, low-paying jobs. Granted many of them. AI, however, has the possibility to wipe out higher skilled, and higher paid, work.