intelligence, the supremacy of the algorithm, represents one of those transformational moments for humankind? i m not sure that it does. but there is a fair chance that it will have transformative effects. it is all commonplace to compare it to the fire, or to the rise of industrial machinery starting in the 18th century. it remains to be seen whether it will be as important for our productivity and our lives, but we are already seeing some of its deep effects on how we organise our democracy, and inequality in modern nations. maybe you are not quite so sure about how dramatic its transformational impact will be, but you certainly seem to be pretty sure that you re sceptical. you say ai will fuel inequality, disempower workers, and, quote, choke democracy ? how? ai is a continuation of a trend that started perhaps around forty years ago, where we have been using digital technologies, for changing how production is organised, who controls information, and how we communicate.
daron acemoglu, in massachusetts, welcome to hardtalk. massachusetts, welcome to hardtalk hardtalk. thank you, it s a deli . ht hardtalk. thank you, it s a delight to hardtalk. thank you, it s a delight to be hardtalk. thank you, it s a delight to be on hardtalk. thank you, it s a delight to be on the - hardtalk. thank you, it s a - delight to be on the programme. a great pleasure to have you here you have just written a book power and progress which goes through the impacts of some of the great technological shift in human history over the past millennium. would you say that artificial intelligence, the supremacy of the algorithm, represents one of those transformational moment for humankind? i’m transformational moment for humankind? transformational moment for humankind? ., , ., humankind? i m not sure that it does but there humankind? i m not sure that it does but there is humankind? i m not sure that it does but there is a humankind? i m not sure that it
around forty years ago, where we have been using digital technologies, for changing how production is organised, who controls information, and how we communicate. both digital technologies in general and ai have great promise. we can talk about some of the specific ways in which ai could be transformational for knowledge work, for example. but in practice, they have actually boosted inequality because they have been used for automation, increasing surveillance, and, also, centralising information. i guess all of that is true but it depends on how you look at i,t whether you are a glass half full or glass half empty guy. for example, not so long ago, i was talking to a former president of estonia and he was telling me with great pride about the degree to which his country now is entirely online, that all citizens are digital citizens who do everything from political interaction
were better for humanity and channelled towards things that were betterfor humanity and i think we can recreate that. thtre think we can recreate that. are ou think we can recreate that. are you somebody think we can recreate that. are you somebody who, like elon musk, actually, not so long ago, just a few months ago, has begun to worry that al may take us to a place where we are no longer masters of the machine but the machines may become masters of us? how far do you go down the doomsday track? trio. go down the doomsday track? no, i m not worried go down the doomsday track? idrr, i m not worried about that. i think the current architecture of ai is unlikely to create anything like the human mind andi anything like the human mind and i also worry that some of the discussion of existential risk really takes our attention off the more mundane and daily users of ai and digital technologies that are inequality generating, but a centralising information, but are boosting the inequitie