The Wall Street Journal, which famously floats trial balloons for corporate behemoths, is carrying water for the poor AI companies who are so, so disliked:
OpenAI this week published a populist wish list of policy proposals that zero in on worries like job replacement and wealth concentration, floating such ideas as a four-day workweek and an AI-invested public-wealth fund distributed to citizens.
Those proposals come as its rival Anthropic has been signing partnerships and building tools for such sectors as consulting and software, where share prices have been whacked by investor worries that they will be replaced by AI. Anthropic’s efforts have helped push back up shares of tech companies including LegalZoom.com LZ 3.84%increase; green up pointing triangle.
Anthropic and OpenAI are each pursuing ventures to help private equity, a big owner of companies in sectors ripe for disruption, with AI transformation. (Those efforts could also yield lucrative new business customers.)
We don't believe you, we don't trust you, and that probably isn't going to change. Sorry, tech and hedge fund bros!
Some business leaders have started warning that AI disruption might come faster than society can adjust. “There’s a real risk artificial intelligence could widen wealth inequality,” BlackRock BLK 5.37%increase; green up pointing triangle Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink wrote in his annual shareholder letter in March.
An OpenAI spokeswoman said the company is seeking to be proactive in its approach to stoking conversations about AI and its rapid advance. “That means coming to the table with real solutions that are as transformative as the underlying technology,” she said.
Yeah, that just sounds like typical vaporware sales!
A handful of recent polls show that the hottest AI labs will have to reassure a wary public. Americans appear profoundly apprehensive about the potential impact of AI on society, with concerns ranging from widespread job losses to broad cybersecurity threats.
Case in point: Elon Musk. Remember how Musk was going to change everything? Remember his incredible tunnel trains that were never built? The robotaxis that would change everything? How he was going to streamline government and save so much money?
His is an empire built on bullshit, as are most of the tech bro visions. The fact still remains that the economic costs of AI data farming far exceed the return, and they know it. They're trying desperately to convince us of a bigger, better society in a vain attempt to get We The People to pick up the tab.
