I think you've made some good points here - particularly the bit about the top 0.01% not being particularly likely to want to subsidise comfortable lives for the rest of us - but not sure it's quite as bad as you say.
I have no stake in AI, but am finding it really useful for a lot of things (particularly idea generation, finding gaps that I've missed, and stimulating my own thoughts). It's a useful short term replacement for having someone sat next to you - you don't get quite the same buzz of collaboration, but you do get a huge vat of knowledge and something to bounce ideas off. Agree with you that it is being used lazily to create tedious cookie-cutter content.
Re: future of work - is AI fundamentally different to any other mass-efficiency technology from the past in terms of how it impacts work? I don't see a good reason why it would be at this point; the change will probably happen faster than previous ones (which will be more disruptive in the short term and be quite unpleasant), but we'll probably come out of it with different jobs rather than fewer?
You're right, Chris, there's lots of genuinely useful applications for AI in knowledge work; although, as you say, in its current form AI doesn't beat proper human collaboration. To an extent the progress tempers my skepticism, but I'm still concerned about the end game.
I've heard some commentators saying the Industrial Revolution was about machines amplifying human brawn, whereas the AI Revolution will be (is already?) about machines amplifying (and, the fear is, replacing) human brains. I'm not sure yet what it means, but that distinction feels important.
I think you've made some good points here - particularly the bit about the top 0.01% not being particularly likely to want to subsidise comfortable lives for the rest of us - but not sure it's quite as bad as you say.
I have no stake in AI, but am finding it really useful for a lot of things (particularly idea generation, finding gaps that I've missed, and stimulating my own thoughts). It's a useful short term replacement for having someone sat next to you - you don't get quite the same buzz of collaboration, but you do get a huge vat of knowledge and something to bounce ideas off. Agree with you that it is being used lazily to create tedious cookie-cutter content.
Re: future of work - is AI fundamentally different to any other mass-efficiency technology from the past in terms of how it impacts work? I don't see a good reason why it would be at this point; the change will probably happen faster than previous ones (which will be more disruptive in the short term and be quite unpleasant), but we'll probably come out of it with different jobs rather than fewer?
You're right, Chris, there's lots of genuinely useful applications for AI in knowledge work; although, as you say, in its current form AI doesn't beat proper human collaboration. To an extent the progress tempers my skepticism, but I'm still concerned about the end game.
I've heard some commentators saying the Industrial Revolution was about machines amplifying human brawn, whereas the AI Revolution will be (is already?) about machines amplifying (and, the fear is, replacing) human brains. I'm not sure yet what it means, but that distinction feels important.