Dear America, I’m confused. I keep hearing from some very enthusiastic folks in red hats that people like me—let’s call us “overthinkers with NPR subscriptions”—are trying to destroy America . This is surprising, because I was under the impression that I was trying to improve America. You know, like upgrading the operating system without deleting the hard drive. I recycle. I vote. I argue about healthcare at dinner parties. I even use the self-checkout without stealing anything. If this is destruction, it’s a very slow and polite apocalypse. Here’s where I get stuck: I assume the red-hat crowd also loves America. They put flags on everything—including items that were not previously considered flag-compatible. Trucks, shirts, possibly breakfast. So if we both love America, and we both think we’re helping it… why does it feel like we’re in a group project where everyone thinks the other group is secretly trying to burn the poster board? Shouldn’t we, I don’t know… talk about it? Since...
In a bold and inspiring vision of the future, Elon Musk has once again reassured the public that artificial intelligence will usher in an era of universal high income—a world where nobody needs to work, everyone is prosperous, and robots politely ask permission before replacing you. Naturally, this promise has been greeted with excitement, curiosity, and a growing number of LinkedIn posts titled: “Open to Work (Thanks, AI!)” Productivity: Now With Fewer Humans Economists once theorized that as productivity increased, workers would enjoy shorter workweeks, more leisure time, and perhaps even hobbies. Imagine their surprise when reality chose a slightly different path: Productivity goes up 📈 Corporate profits go up 📈 Workforce… goes poof 💨 It turns out that when one AI can do the work of ten employees, the logical conclusion is not “Let’s all work less,” but rather “Let’s keep one person and call it innovation.” The dream of a 20-hour workweek has instead been repl...