Comment by tmoertel
3 hours ago
AI doesn't change the equation; it makes the equation more brutal for people who don't have capital.
If you don't have capital, the only way to get it is by trading resources or labor for it. Most poor people don't have resources, but they do have the ability to do labor that's valued. But AI is a substitute for labor. And as AI gets better, the value of many kinds of labor will go towards zero.
If it was hard for poor people to escape poverty in the past, it's going to be even harder with AI. Unless we change something about the structure of society to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared with poor people.
Ok, I'm following you. You're saying because labor gets cheaper it will be harder to make a living providing labor. Not disagreeing, but I wonder how much weight to give this argument. History shows a precedent of productivity revolutions changing the workforce, but not eliminating it, and lifting the quality of life of the population overall (though it does also create problems). Mixed bag with the arc bending towards betterment for all. You could argue that this moment is unprecedented in history, but unless the human spirit changes, for better or worse, we will adapt as we always have, rich and poor alike.
If the value of many kinds of labor go towards zero, those benefits also go to the poor. ChatGPT has a free tier. The method of escaping poverty will still be the same. Grow yourself. Provide value to your community.