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

Key points

• As Americans grow increasingly worried that AI will wipe out millions of jobs and create a permanent new underclass, tech billionaires are rushing to reassure us not to worry – the subtext being: please don’t bring out the anti-AI pitchforks.
• 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 via checks issued by the Federal government” would save everyone thrown out of work by AI.
• Musk says that AI will create such gigantic productivity gains and such vast economic abundance that there will be no inflation and no need to “worry about squirreling money away for retirement in 10 or 20 years”.
• “Saving for retirement will be irrelevant,” he added.