Billionaires are trying to lull us into AI complacency. Don’t let her | Steven Greenhouse

AAs Americans increasingly fear that AI will eliminate millions of jobs and create a permanent new underclass, tech billionaires are rushing to reassure us that we have nothing to worry about – with the subtext: Please don’t pull out the pitchforks of AI opponents.

Even Elon Musk, who recently merged SpaceX with his AI company, has joined the effort, essentially telling people, “Don’t worry, be happy” about AI. Musk wrote last month that “Universal HIGH INCOME through checks issued by the federal government” would save everyone put out of work by AI.

Musk says AI will create such gigantic increases in productivity and economic prosperity that there will be no inflation and no need to worry about “throwing away retirement money in 10 or 20 years.” “Saving for retirement will be irrelevant,” he added.

As part of this reassuring chorus, Sam Altman’s OpenAI released a report last month that said: “The promise of superintelligence is extraordinary… (AI) is getting faster…”