←back to thread

46 points CharlesW | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
ford ◴[] No.45785175[source]
The argument sounds like he believes AI (+ robotics) will take jobs, and breaking up OpenAI could slow it down

Historically the most productive countries are the most prosperous - I think there is a big landscape of local maxima/minima in how healthy & happy a country/economy is, but shunning new technology has never been the path to Quality of Life. The only future where the US maintains its relative success involves American leadership in AI and robotics, with humans supporting them

replies(6): >>45785285 #>>45785288 #>>45785497 #>>45786929 #>>45788034 #>>45792194 #
DarkNova6 ◴[] No.45785497[source]
> The only future where the US maintains its relative success involves American leadership in AI and robotics, with humans supporting them

I never understood this take. It strikes me more as "faith in our lord and savior AI" without actual evidence to support this.

replies(1): >>45785581 #
CamperBob2 ◴[] No.45785581[source]
Almost every advantage we have over every other country, we owe to technology. (Well, that and a couple of oceans, I suppose.) Historically, Americans have been better at taking every possible advantage of automation, computation, and tech in general than anyone else.

Do you expect that to change, and if so, how?

replies(3): >>45785608 #>>45786679 #>>45789210 #
1. DarkNova6 ◴[] No.45789210{3}[source]
It's true that currently US technology is among the forefront, but having a single economic pillar is fragile and bound to break, the same is happening with the automotive industry in Germany right now.

But a primary problem is financial. There is too much financial wealth that is desperately looking to find lucrative opportunities which do not exist. So everybody follows the hype and creates the largest bubble we have seen in human history. And those who don't invest in AI, are largely bound in private equity or real estate, which extracts wealth from everybody without giving anything in return. This makes all other businesses less competitive.

It's a huge bottom-up scheme because the incentives are wrong, lacking transparency and unchecked financial power. This is simply not sustainable and nothing but a systemic change is needed.

In the lie for search of productivity, the west didn't become more efficient. We simply outsourced lower-margin industries to Asia and we are now faced with: Lost knowledge, lacking infrastructure, vulnerable supply chains and people without jobs.

AI cannot and will not change this.

Edit: Not sure why you got downvotes, I think it is a valid question.

replies(1): >>45799659 #
2. tim333 ◴[] No.45799659[source]
Couple of issues - "a single economic pillar is fragile". I don't think anyone is suggesting shutting the US economy and just doing AI.

"largest bubble we have seen in human history" - the sums involved are not the largest - the railway bubble was larger as percent of GDP. Also it's not even clear it is that much of a bubble - the AI may come through and produce more value than the sums invested. If you can double the workforce by matching humans with AI/robots how much is that worth?