Back in 2018, Ben Thompson wrote another piece called “Tech’s Two Philosophies.” He contrasted keynotes from Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, and came to this conclusion: “In Google’s view, computers help you get things done—and save you time—by doing things for you.” The second philosophy, expounded by Nadella, is very much a continuation of Steve Jobs’ “bicycle for the mind” insight. As Thompson put it, “the expectation is not that the computer does your work for you, but rather that the computer enables you to do your work better and more efficiently.” Another way of saying this is that you can treat AI as either a worker OR a tool, but your choice has consequences.
Yes, today’s AI is amazing. We don’t have to reach for hyperbole to appreciate that. And obviously, if AI systems do develop genuine volition and stakes in their work, the ethical calculus changes entirely.
For the moment, though, companies building and deploying AI tools should focus on three things: First, does AI empower its users to do things that were previously impossible? Second, does it empower a wider group of people to do things that formerly could be done only by highly skilled specialists? Third, do the benefits of the increased productivity it brings accrue to those using the tool or primarily to those who develop it and own it?
The answer to the first two questions is that absolutely, we are entering a period of dramatic democratization of computing power. And yes, if humans are given the freedom to apply that power to solve new problems and create new value, we could be looking ahead to a golden age of prosperity. It’s how we might choose to answer the third question that haunts me.
During the first industrial revolution, humans suffered through a long period of immiseration as the productivity gains from machines accrued primarily to the owners of the machines. It took several generations before they were more widely shared.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Replace human workers with AI workers, and you will repeat the mistakes of the 19th century. Build tools that empower and enrich humans, and we might just surmount the challenges of the 21st century.