Thurston Veblen predicted capitalism will fail not because of rational, profit maximin decision making but rather because of the wealthy’s lust for power and social status will corrupt its decsion making. Once the people in control of the capital had enough money for multiple generations of wealth, they no longer cared what was rational only what gave them power and let them express it. In today’s world this prediction is chilling. And now throw AI into the mix and everything is accelerated. Why? Because AI is a perfect, unquestioning, loyal minion. Employees are pesky, with morals and independent thinking., Who wants that if you are a power thirsty, egoistical billionaire? That is one of AI’s greatest threats, not that it will thinking independently, but that it will not.

If AI could think, things would actually be far better for the average person. But they don’t and will do their master’s bidding with unquestioning loyalty.

What to do? Assuring AI can get into everyone’s hands is a good first step. If everyone has minions at least some of the danger is mitigated. Making decisions based on ethics not ego is paramount. Try and think of everyone- I mean everyone- when making a decision from what pod caste to listen too to who to vote for. The leisure class, as Veblen classed them, may be making the wrong decisions based on their own ego, but we should not and cannot do the same. And AI can help us but also serving as a force multiplier from helping you craft a post to making better decisions on which firms to support when you make a purchase.

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