Democracy Dies in Darkness

Elites fear the future economy. That bleeds.

Artificial intelligence doomer narratives reflect personal fears, not economic reality.

(Illustration by Washington Post staff; iStock)

If you’re in an industry ripe for disruption by artificial intelligence, thinking about what’s coming inspires strong emotions. Like panic. And outrage.

If you’re a college-educated professional, the economy has worked well for you over the past few decades. As with anything that has lasted for a long time, this seems like the natural order of things — an entitlement, not chronological luck. And to be fair, you didn’t just luck out by having the kinds of natural aptitudes that were highly remunerative in a postindustrial society. You also worked hard to develop those aptitudes into something the market would reward. Now a machine might steal what you earned. This doesn’t just feel bad. It feels like a violation.

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