AI Backlash Backlash [View all]
About 4 weeks ago I went to an AI propaganda session led by a very successful fintech investor. They fed and boozed us while they asked why we objected to AI, what our concerns were, etc. They countered in vague platitudes but the most coherent part was a vision something like:
AI is ushering in a new era of abundance. The displacement of boring jobs is a great thing since we will all have loads of free time. We will get UBI, lay on the beach and finally write that novel.
Last night I saw as much as I could stand of an interview of Canadian fintech oligarch Chamath Palihapitiya. He seemed to be singing from the same hymn book -- UBI, the end of capitalism as we know it, era of abundance, lots of free time. But then he went on the attack claiming there was an organized conspiracy to cut off power and "mothball" data centers. In his narrative this risks bringing about the worst of all outcomes: keeping AI from reaching its otherwise inevitable utopia and dooming the US economy due to keeping AI unprofitable after maximal capital expenditures.
He went on and on about how "40%" of the power needed for data centers is being cut off "every day". But it all clicked when he said that the fintech oligarchs like himself need to do more to sell the public on the benefits of AI and to sell the transition as a good thing which should be embraced by all. He proposed that somehow (the government?) should make all people invested in the future of AI so that people would anticipate sharing the benefits and stop opposing data centers. His tone and language made it obvious that these were talking points, prewritten. It reeks of McKenzie & Company. The overlap with the other fintech guys seems not to be coincidence.
When pushed on what these great AI benefits would be, Palihapitiya launched into another talking point. Uterine cancer. 'AI will detect uterine cancer earlier and then patients can start treatment sooner. Also when they do surgery now the doctor just eyeballs it. Tries to get all the cancer by eye but AI will be able to tell him in real time.' But if you misguided suburban Luddites cut off the electricity to his massive data centers then none of this will happen and you will have to live with the financial and moral problems of having thwarted utopia!
There are more of these events coming up near me. I was due to go to one led by Andrew Yang but it looks like he has dropped out.
Anyone else seeing this campaign?
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