"Even seemingly benign forms of centralization bring myriad economic and political costs, depending on who is ultimately in control."
Simon Johnson and Daron Acemoglu have written a long, eloquent book arguing that technological progress is a decidedly mixed bag.
"History has shown us that when the distribution of information is left in the hands of a few, the result is political and economic oppression."
The focus on human extinction ... makes us shift the focus from the more mundane damage that these new models are likely to cause.
"Technological progress is the most important driver of human flourishing but what we tend to forget is that the process is not automatic."
"We need a pivot ... toward a focus on 'machine usefulness,' the idea that computers should primarily enhance human capabilities."
"Power and Progress," by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson explores several moments when technology led to the opposite of shared prosperity.
"Turkey, it is now clear, needs more than a change of government; it needs a fundamental transformation of its politics and economy."
"Everyone is focused on leveraging AI to cut labor costs, with little concern … for the future of American spending power."
"There is nothing automatic about new technologies bringing widespread prosperity."
