We're Missing a Key Reason Why Americans Hate AI
The article argues that public resentment toward AI stems from the disconnect between the promised 'abundance' of cheap goods and the reality of rising costs of living. It suggests that AI is currently benefiting a small elite while failing to deliver the promised economic relief to the average American.
Why it matters
It provides a socio-economic critique of the AI industry's failure to meet its own utopian promises, explaining current public backlash.
∙ Paid 91 17 9 Share Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash Artificial intelligence might be the most instantly unpopular emerging technology in modern history. Why? Off the top of my head, I suppose one could blame the rise of tech pessimism, the emergence of anti-billionaire politics, the fallout from disappointments of the social media age, the demonization (sometimes fair, sometimes unfair) of data centers, growing distrust of corporations in general, or the fact that people don’t appreciate being told that a new product is going to disemploy their children and destroy the world, while its architects become billionaires.
All fair. But there’s another reason that these explanations overlook.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in