Billionaires are trying to lull us into AI complacency. Don't let them
TL;DR
As resistance to data centers grows, Musk and other tech billionaires paint a rosy AI future to keep people calm – the subtext: don't bring out the anti-AI pitchforks. Musk, who recently merged SpaceX with his AI company, even floats federal „Universal HIGH INCOME“ checks as the cure for AI-driven job loss. Journalist Steven Greenhouse warns: without real US protections, AI could create a permanent new underclass. The piece pushes back on billionaire complacency narratives.
Nauti's Take
Important wake-up: Greenhouse shows the rosy billionaire framing isn't harmless PR — it's actively designed to defuse pressure for real worker protections, and that's a genuine opportunity to push the debate towards honesty. The risk: selling „Universal HIGH INCOME“ as the cure lulls the very people who'll end up jobless without a safety net.
Practical read: don't wait on a state backstop — diversify skills and income streams now, before the bill arrives.