AGI Fallout: Shocking Predictions About Society's Future

[@matthew_berman]

I misspoke around 2:40 and said "up" when I meant "down". Human ability to wield power will go DOWN. Thanks @ListenGrasshopper for pointing it out.

[@halnineooo136]

It's called a lapsus, quite revealing one 😊

[@storiesreadaloud5635]

That guy's take is dubious in places. Imagine believing that we wouldn't want politicians to be replaced by AIs.

[@punkcaddies]

No worry, like we say in french "L'erreur est humaine" Error is human :)

[@punkcaddies]

No worry, as we say in french "L'erreur est humaine" to err is human :)

[@halnineooo136]

@@storiesreadaloud5635 The only "we" whom opinion matters are the ones who will own AI+Robots. They will be the entirety of the economy. The army will be made of their robots and AI. The others are pets in a zoo at best. Not needed for anything even for spending fake money on consuming goods they have nothing to give in exchange that the owner class can't make for themselves.

[@Nathaniel_Bush_Ph.D.]

There's one group of people who have everything given to them already. Children. And yet, they are endlessly creative, engaged, active, and curious about the world. It isn't until they get beaten down by educational institutions and jobs that people lose their intrinsic enthusiasm. Would UBI make some people completely useless? Of course, some people will always be completely useless, but I think it would unleash enormous flourishing for most people.

[@TheNewOriginals450]

Children don't just lose those qualities because they're beaten down by institutions. Their brains change as well as their hormones. The same as kittens and puppies lose their endless playfulness as they mature. They're not beaten down by educational institutions and jobs.

[@metadouken]

their creativity is largely hive mind and puppeting

[@justinphillips1761]

I 100% agree and do not know why people do not see the possibility for another kind of life or another way to live life or whatever you want to call it use your imagination

[@GoRockyFTW]

@@TheNewOriginals450 I agree. OP described growing up and tapped his forehead.

[@robitibor777]

I agree with your perspective. Children have a direct connection with the Essence. Sadly, our "developed" world is designed to sever this connection. We should rediscover these forgotten roots and ASI can help us with this task.

[@Sid_Okay]

Most people enjoy living a simple life and have no grand ambitions. And it's kinda scary that delusional workaholics will decide what our future is 😅

[@GoodBaleadaMusic]

Yeah but the work behind all scenes in your consumption cycle is not simple. It's hard what the kids in the kids in the Congo do for O'l Sid. You can't wipe your butt without the people who steal your money and decide what to do with the people who can build things like this and who will go nameless in history like a mason who built the pyramids.

[@GTAsanAndreaser]

I knowwwwww ,for fsake I want to quit my job and have simple unambitious life with UBI

[@fx-studio]

@@GTAsanAndreaser There is no UBI just more jabs...

[@GoodBaleadaMusic]

@GTAsanAndreaser Why don't you just learn to live in the United States? Will the settlers of America ever stop sitting on a daddy's lap or collecting a welfare check?

[@dpactootle2522]

Most people just want to have fun, like kids. And that is a beautiful thing.

[@sergefournier7744]

There is already rich poeple, and they do not give away their money. The automobile industry is 50% automated, cars are not 50% cheaper. Ai does not mean we live in a movie.

[@NowayJose14]

Elysium is a movie that speculates on some more... Realistic outcomes.

[@tylerpestell]

Yeah, this is exactly why I don’t see this ending well for us. We are producing more than we ever have and with way less overall effort by humans, yet lots of people struggle.

[@aelisenko]

there is a known effect for efficiency always being taken up by demand. Cars are not "cheaper" but they do have much more value and are not the same cars pre automation. I think that one of the septillionaires AGI and robotics will create will behave in philanthropic ways, and all it takes is for one of them to dedicate 0.0001% of their autonomous robots to build a factory or more robots for the general public. This will be more than enough to provide for all of humanity.

[@tylerpestell]

@ I don’t necessarily agree with your optimism but it is still nice to hear… I sure hope you are right.

[@CHIM3RA.]

The reason why the price for vehicles aren't 50% cheaper is because atm, Hundreds of Millions of people can still comfortably afford those prices. Now think about what would happen to the automobile industry if the current society starts pushing people out of jobs in mass droves leading them into poverty? Would the automobile maintain the same customers or can they even bring in new customers? Or would they end up losing Billions of customers because of them not being able to afford those same products at that price anymore? Too many doomers assume that other rich people will maintain these bigger industries, but that's statistically impossible to achieve in the long term. If there isn't UBI, all these Billion dollar industries will lose millions daily because of ZERO customers from the general population.

[@delxinogaming6046]

We need to talk to ethicists, not technologists, on this problem.

[@keizbot]

We need to talk about this, period. Nobody even comprehends what is about to happen. Only about 0.25% of America is remotely up to date, per recent polls

[@ABeautifulHeartBeat]

​@keizbot probably less than that. We've crossed so many thresholds and most don't realize the exponential growth factor ignoring moores

[@keizbot]

@@ABeautifulHeartBeat Yeah it's insane how uninformed almost everyone is, especially our politicians who are still figuring out smartphones

[@channeling764]

What is the ethicist going to do? Scold the rich? 😂

[@antoniodonatonobre4615]

I got retired 6 years ago. My young daugther complained the other day that I work much more now than I did before retirement. I basically feel a sense of security (provided by the retirement income) and freedom (no bosses, no red tape) so incredibly precious. I believe most people would feel and act the save with Universal Basic Income.

[@aurafrizzati6679]

I am not retired yet unfortunately but I envision that similarly. If you are a person full of curiosity, enthusiasm and love for this life, the world is your oyster. I have a feeling some people at the top fear more losing their social status quo and feeling more successful than others, as possibly Matthew...life is a journey, if this is the change we are going towards, the real drive will find its way, perhaps without money attached. And sometimes it is also just nice being alive for the sake of being alive, no need to be hamsters in the wheel all the time

[@GrowthMindset_J]

That’s inspiring, Anton! I don’t think I’ll ever retire either. I love learning, so I’ll keep working and learning as long as I can.

[@zacboyles1396]

I love working because I love what I do, I love what I do because I’m not worried about paying for my essentials. Matt engages in the lazy brain argument, thinking that people have been slaves to work for so long they’ll all just die from a lack of purpose. Even in a worse case scenario where our souls are all literally bound to laborious work, which they’re not, but if they were we could simply gamify UBI.

[@effectuators6680]

TISNSTAAFL there is no such thing as a free lunch

[@samvirtuel7583]

Most people have no passion.

[@DecentGradient]

For some that tie their ambition to profit it might be difficult. However, I don't believe ambition requires a profit driven goal. I personally actually hate the things I do to "try" to get money. They're usually empty and unfulfilling to me. I get much more satisfaction and pleasure from doing things that enrich my experience, like interacting with others. For example, if you have some olive trees on your property, you might get enjoyment out of harvesting them and making olive oil. Maybe you notice that others enjoy your olive oil so you share it. Maybe you do it again next year so you can see how people enjoy it and maybe even invite others to participate to share the experience. The motivation is in the experience and interactions with others. Sure AI can make the olive oil faster, cheaper, and better for most situations, but the experience and interactions of doing it by hand are unique and fulfilling.

[@nedstudt]

I was in that situation in 2000 after selling my company and didn't miss a beat following my passions. Having time and money is a precious combination.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

If UBI is here, and I cannot longer work in IT, I would still gladly realise my goal, rent a garage and build wood furniture, classic, modern hand-made - art and function in one piece. Now I need to stick to my well-paying job. I think a lot of 'talents' would be re-shuffled and re-discovered, but there is need to live in humane world. Lets remember, that without UBI, the richest will be the dinosaurs in Gold-gated Jurasic Park -- and all other people would be the ones pushing into the walls. I do not want such outcome, not even knowing on which side I would be in, the simple fact of such need to create such wall, and to split in this way is dystopic.

[@pietervoogt]

80% of people always had to deal with the humbling realization that they didn't belong to the smartest and most innovating part of humanity. Their work has always been doing repetitive things. But they made their life worthwhile by creating experiences of love and joy. And there is novelty there too. The clouds look different every day, you meet new people, nothing is exactly the same in this universe. Now the smart people finally have to learn some humility too, find new things to care about. It was about time.

[@legendmir1]

Exactly. The economy is a vehicle to serve people, not the other way around. We need to align the incentives accordingly.

[@daomingjin]

love & joy doesn't pay the rent ..or the mortgage.

[@panatingolino]

The notion that Universal Basic Income would kill "ambition" and the desire to "create something new" is directly contradicted a few minutes later when discussing how in Silicon Valley, top companies paying top money and providing amenities such as free food, massages, unlimited vacation, etc. is not enough to retain top talent. Once material needs such as those are met, folks concentrate on working on meaningful, cool stuff that give them internal satisfaction of achieving something important. As Matt said "people want to be part of a mission, part of a purpose and work on the coolest, hardest problems with other incredible smart people". The same applies to folks in other fields if given the opportunity.

[@kylesherman895]

There are billions who would gladly sit idle if given the opportunity

[@831Miranda]

At the risk of sounding trite... humans are social beings we get the most joy in the company of others!

[@wurstelei1356]

UBI, not happening with Donald Trump.

[@edgardsimon983]

@@kylesherman895 getting bored has moved many people even the dumbest

[@michalwiktorow2188]

@@kylesherman895 So is their thinking now, because they are involved and busy, what would be their actual behaviour after 1 to 5 years of vacations? Who knows?

[@robitibor777]

Hmmm, the idea that human ambition is solely tied to upward mobility and material wealth reflects a narrow perspective on the real potential of the human spirit. What if our deepest ambitions lie not in climbing societal hierarchies, but in exploring the richness of existence itself? The ambition to simply be-to meditate, to create art, to study for the joy of understanding. Connection, beauty, and self-awareness that transcends wealth or status. Imagine a society where the measure of success is not power or capital, but the depth of one’s presence, the authenticity of one’s creativity, and the clarity of one’s inner peace. Maybe an AGI, with its boundless efficiency, can liberate us to pursue these intrinsic desires... What about the ambition to discover the infinite within ourselves... To embrace the act of LIVING. Not just primitive accumulation of stuff /which we always leave here after we move from this realm/, but alignment with the essence of our existence. With right mindset, the human soul can thrive in the ASI driven world in ways we've only begun to imagine.

[@PanSeiklios]

Human ambition is about exploring and pursuing our preferences. We all have our own unique mix on a distribution curve.

[@samarthpatel8377]

Exactly my idea. When watching the video I was like, haven't this person heard of someone like Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)? This is not just one off example. People all the time leave material wealth totally. See babas and gurus and even PhD scholars who give up everything just to live in woods, and do something close to them or maybe something that gives them meaning. Basically, my thought is if the world lets the behaviour as said in the blog happen then it will happen, but if we think differently and find a solution then we will be able to find the solution too. It all depends on how we shape the world

[@joeybasile545]

Lol

[@joseeduardoelizondolozano7025]

💯💯💯 what an awesome life that would be.

[@ghostbeatpp1]

​@@samarthpatel8377how many enlightened Buddha have you met? How many people that take government handouts as an excuse to be lazy? How many people pretend to be Buddha's ,yogis, gurus for nothing more than money or control? It's not that they don't know who Siddhartha was, it's that they know how the majority of humans are. Unrealistic and a totally half baked comparison, not based on current reality.

[@artificialcitizens2399]

Seeing that we've had all the knowledge of the world at our finger tips for the last couple decades and we are somehow getting more stupid, I don't have much faith in humanity to leveraging this technology for good.

[@luizhenriquepaes8991]

Kind of makes sense, just a couple decades ago you had like 1% of the information amount you have today. It's so much info, so much manipulation (by algorithms) that our brain can't keep it up I think I will blame social media for this one

[@MrNote-lz7lh]

The masses always been dumb. Those with the drive have benefited greatly from freely available knowledge. Both to enrich their own capabilities and to keep the violent urges of the majority under control.

[@D-alien]

I had to comment based on the remark you made about Ubi and people not being creative. I'm a digital illustrator in 3D modeler and most of the 3D modeling and illustration I do is commission work. That means it's work that other people ask me to do. I don't need a lot of money to be happy. If I was paid a Ubi, I would most likely spend that time creating way better art than I'm creating now because it would be my art, not somebody else's ideas, that usually involves commercial motivations. There are a million things people would do if they didn't have to work to survive. And everybody I know who retires is busier once they retire, then they are when they were working.

[@Nathaniel_Bush_Ph.D.]

This!

[@ew3995]

sure we will all have hobbies but no one will pay or recognise you for them

[@SandcastleDreams]

You won't be needed. AI will do it.

[@FishKungfu]

UBI is a horrible idea! There is no such thing as free money.

[@igors.2943]

​@ew3995 maybe it's the other way around. We'll get payed only for "hobies" . Humans will be only able to produce value in art, show, biz, sports, social fields. For example: computers are better in chess but chess is still popular. Recorded music quality is much higher than in live concerts, but people still pay for concerts. The social factor won't dissapear. It's an instinct. Most people won't be satisfied with a digital living partners and friends, digital art, digital content, sport competitions between robots, robot psychologist....even if it's performance is higher. We will be satisfied with a basic services and goods, such as robotic maid, driver, etc...

[@MsReclusivity]

Human innovation and creativity will never go away. Even if the money we are given is only used to track resources. We will still use our creative minds to create WITH AI.

[@ew3995]

copium is string in you.agreed it will never go away but it will become obsolete

[@MsReclusivity]

@ As we merge with the AI our creativity and innovation will only increase.

[@mrd6869]

And that's the point. Those who LEARN how to leverage and adapt will survive.

[@jamesjonnes]

​@@MsReclusivityWhy would AI merge with inferior beings like us?

[@leonardorojas7354]

@@mrd6869 Dude we are talking about an intelligence orders of magnituded higher than ours. Leverage? Adapt to what?

[@growsalespro]

Solid conversation. Thanks for getting this into the ether. MUST be discussed.

[@nmeau]

I predict that live performance arts - particularly music- will see a massive upswing in the “post labour” world

[@crippsverse]

I've been saying this, too. Local live theatre with projectors would be awesome. That sense of jeopardy at an actor potentially forgetting their lines will be totally engaging.

[@SanderFocus]

@@crippsverse None could afford a ticket..

[@crippsverse]

@@SanderFocus With any luck it will be free. We'll attend to enrich our lives and experience a sense of jeopardy because we all exist on UBI by then.

[@daomingjin]

and then that particular market becomes saturated .

[@TheGalacticIndian]

The opposite is also true - if you don't have the resources or the viable way to get them, there is no need for ambition, and even the greatest ambition won't help here.

[@xt-89907]

If ambition causes you to act when others would rest, that will still effect the world

[@PsychologyFacts-n-Trivia]

I am creative and an idea guy. I am a big picture person, at the bottom of the workforce, my skills are not wanted or appreciated. At the top, they are. Creative people will find an outlet for their creativity. This new AI world excites people like me. I now have a partner to help me bring my inventions and ideas to the surface and a partner to help me flesh them out. I can make them strong in areas that I am weak.

[@daomingjin]

then you should be working on technical solutions for people to communicate freely online without needing to identify themselves

[@TechFrontiers-eg6wz]

Money and power corrupt , they will never willingly give either up

[@meisherenow]

In a world where capital is infinitely more valuable than labor, we really don't want our current situation: most people owning no capital.

[@daomingjin]

the problem is that it's fake value. There is more debt in circulation than there is actual capitol to service that debt.

[@TheAlastairBrown]

"Ai capitalism is going to destroy us and lock us into a social hell we can't escape from. Brought to you by Vulture." 😅

[@DileepaRanawake]

So glad you’re talking about this. If we do not tackle inequality now 99% of us are screwed

[@spinninglink]

unfortunately, we just elected the worst possible administration for that purpose

[@bigpickle8844]

@@spinninglink It will make no difference if you put a carrot in the office. This is a global competition, and you either play the game to win first or your country will go broke!

[@TheMrCougarful]

Prepare to be tooled.

[@nikhil_jadhav]

99.99999% are screwd

[@DileepaRanawake]

@ too right

[@johnwalker6915]

Thanks!

[@JohnSmith762A11B]

As a senior-level software engineer I'm already living through a lot of this. I've never been so excited about technology's potential to change the world, but rght now it is destroying my ability to remain solvent, and I see more and more and more people sharing my plight daily. If it all ends up in a global Norway, well, as people born in Norway know and have been told: when you were born here you won the lottery of life. It's as close to a modern paradise as humans can create today (at least without AGI + ASI). The alternative of a brutal entrenched oligarchy ruling a permanent global slave caste, essentially the film Eliseum, an "anti-Norway" of deadly exploitation, neglect, impoverishment and abuse of humanity frankly seems more likely right now. My best hope is the ease of obtaining basic material security will diminish the incentives for AI oligarchs to abuse the rest of humanity for sport. It would simply be a lot of unnecessary work when they could be doing other more interesting things. Let's do the Norwegian wonderland thing, please.

[@honkytonk4465]

Why do you need a slave caste when all things can be done by robots?

[@JohnDoe-yl4gd]

What on earth are you talking about? Have you ever been to Norway? All the major cities are basically shitholes due to unchecked immigration from shithole countries. Norway USED to be paradise up until the early 80's.

[@frankjohannessen6383]

No matter how smart AI gets, there won't be infinite resources. Intelligence isn't magic.

[@luizhenriquepaes8991]

Agreed... it will have finite resources unless ASI comes with a Sci-fi thing, like FTL travel, Space mining and another crazy feats. Then, of course, universe is finite, but when it comes to resource usage you can call it virtually infinite

[@MrNote-lz7lh]

True! But there's enough resources in our solar system alone for each person to have the current world collective wealth to themselves.

[@watsonwrote]

​​​@@MrNote-lz7lh The issue is that human lifespans are too short for any one life to see the benefit. Centuries will pass before we could ever reap anything meaningful from space. Space colonization would happen for inorganic machines or inorganic life; organic humans cannot have an existence on galactic and intergalactic scales. Companies today can barely look decades ahead; how could we possibly get people and companies to plan precisely for multiple centuries ahead? We can barely leave the solar system in a human lifetime, let alone travel back and forth around it. The scale of space is no scale for mortals.

[@living-stardust]

Yes. Something will be always limited and has more value even with infinite resources there is just one perfect place for the house on the beach that everyone wants.

[@diga4696]

This is a fascinating discussion, Matthew! The implications of AGI on labor and capital are truly thought-provoking. It makes you wonder, if human labor becomes obsolete, what truly defines our value and purpose? Is it our creativity, our relationships, our ability to experience and appreciate the world around us? Perhaps this shift, while potentially disruptive, could ultimately free us to explore those aspects of our humanity more deeply. Thanks for sharing this insightful perspective!

[@ew3995]

your avoiding the obvious conclusion, perhaps you are afraid to face it

[@marius165]

People with their basic needs fulfilled go about fulfilling the next need in hierarchy (check the pyramid of needs): - Love and belonging (spending time with people) - Esteem (personal mission) - Auto-actualization (spiritual, growth, helping others) Most people have no great ambitions. They will be happy spending time with people, traveling, playing games. Also, virtual worlds will be created where our ambitions might thrive.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

Look at 'Silver workforce' in Japan, they do what they do, because they think this is the right thing to do. For some it is personal mission, for some rooting for clean and better surroundings, for others to mark still their existence - they are not forced to clean their surroundings, they do it during their retirement simply because they think this is right thing to do. Those are 'small ambitions' that have a compound result, that some countries look much more civilized and are safer than others. If people will not be threatened by environment, they will simply try to do good to this environment too. Every small gesture multiplied by the number of people actually results in what we see as 'Japan'. Sure, I am not idealising Japan, they also have their stagflation now, and debt, and demographic crisis, but they seem to 'be stable even during stagflation'.

[@yorkdukeyork]

AI is the final victory of capital over labor.

[@ew3995]

one of the few lucid ones

[@haniamritdas4725]

Obviously true. Automation tracks the rise of homeless people in America, not the dawn of an economic utopia. Labor is a term in the equation of wealth, and it's not there for love of humanity

[@kenneththompson4450]

I agree with the author, and am very glad that you shared this because it seems like most are embracing the idea of utopia without even contemplating the very possible tyranny that will most likely ensue first.

[@kenneththompson4450]

* not from Ai, but from the humans that are always & already looking to do so.

[@dezmond8416]

I also want to become rich enough to suffer from idleness. How can I get it? Please give me enough money to make me bored! Please!

[@daomingjin]

the problem is , they won't give you enough UBI for that. They will give you enough (and they will let AI determine how much each month) so that you live just comfortable enough to not revolt and just low enough of a living standard to make you feel there is no other option in life outside of suicide. This is the WEF's plan.

[@sajjaddehghani8735]

This is by far the most complicated and complex equation I've ever seen. There are many parameters and variables that may affect on what will happen after it happens, I wish it helps humanity❤

[@jorgear]

The key factor is "education." As of today, education systems around the world serve only one purpose: to fill society's jobs. Once that need is gone, we need to shift our system towards fostering creativity. In theory, we will have tools (AI) capable of doing almost anything we can imagine. This shift would represent the opposite of our current reality. As a civilization, we are not more advanced precisely because most of our time is consumed by working 9-to-5 jobs to meet basic needs like food and shelter. I’m confident that if everyone has fair access to AGI and robotics, human interaction and creativity will flourish, leading to a happier and more advanced civilization overall.

[@831Miranda]

What gives you the idea that the billionaires currently funding and controlling Ai for profit - will provide all that you describe to people they regard as 'useless tv watchers' (allusion to recent statements by tech bros in trumps sphere) ?

[@jorgear]

@831Miranda Open-source AI and low-cost hardware are rapidly advancing. Right now, open-source AI is almost on par with for-profit AI. Models like Llama 3 and DeepSeek v3 perform nearly as well as ChatGPT and Anthropic, and they are free-you can even run them at home. This means you don’t need a billionaire to operate a state-of-the-art model. If this trend continues, AGI may eventually become open-source as well. The transition will be painful for around five years, and it’s recommended that governments start considering programs to mitigate the massive unemployment that may result. However, in the long run, everything will work out. Stay optimistic!✌

[@jorgear]

@831Miranda Open-source AI and low-cost hardware are rapidly advancing. Right now, open-source AI is almost on par with for-profit AI. Models like Llama 3 and DeepSeek v3 perform nearly as well as ChatGPT and Anthropic, and they are free-you can even run them at home. This means you don’t need a billionaire to operate a state-of-the-art model. If this trend continues, AGI may eventually become open-source as well. The transition will be painful for the next five years, and it’s recommended that governments start considering programs to mitigate the massive unemployment that may result. However, in the long run, everything will work out. Stay optimistic!

[@markupton1417]

US public education only prepares students for failure.

[@christopherjoneswa]

I gotta say, look at how all previous advances were enjoyed, that is, who benefitted the most? I think that when a new technology emerges, there's a lot of hype and speculation surrounding the implications, however, as they become more integrated, the benefit largely benefits the Executive class. A simple example is specialized tools, say for a factory, they make the skilled labor pool more effective but this doesn't mean that the workers work less and enjoy the same quality of life, or better, instead it means Executives shift towards fewer workers (lower labor costs) while continuing to grow.

[@francoisotis3560]

If populations are reduced or get super poor, how the future trilionnaires will make their money? They need an economy, a market, to make their cash, display it and to exert their levers. That's why I beleive the wealthiest will protect the economy by all means. They need us to work and earn wages to buy their craps and at the end of the day maintain their power.

[@rebootEDU]

Hi Matthew, Thanks for the thought-provoking video. You’ve raised some really important points about the potential fallout of AGI, and it’s got me reflecting on what the future might look like. I found your concerns about humans losing ambition if work becomes unnecessary particularly interesting. Personally, I don’t fully agree with that. From my own experience, AI has had the opposite effect. I’m neurodivergent, with dyslexia and ADHD, and I’ve always found it tough to engage with things like coding or complex topics. But AI has helped me overcome those barriers-whether it’s with spelling, understanding coding logic, or simplifying difficult concepts. If anything, it’s sparked my curiosity and made me want to learn more, especially about AI and blockchain. Humans are naturally curious, and I believe that if we’re freed from the daily grind of survival, that curiosity will only grow. History shows that when people have time to think and explore, they innovate. I think we’d turn our attention to things like space exploration, cultural understanding, or even self-improvement. It’s hard to imagine humanity becoming complacent when so much of our nature is about exploring the unknown. I also agree with your points about the risk of power imbalances. AGI being controlled by a handful of corporations or governments could lead to a static society where the one percent hold all the cards. But what about the potential of open-source AI and blockchain? These technologies are already empowering people to build decentralised systems. If AI can program and innovate, what’s stopping communities from using it to reclaim control over farming, infrastructure, or even local economies? I’m currently studying AI ethics, and this is where I think things could go either way. These tools can either concentrate power further or help redistribute it-it all depends on how we approach their development and implementation. If there’s a major societal disruption, like widespread job losses or an economic crash, it might push people to look for alternatives. Decentralised AI and blockchain could give people the tools to take back power from tech billionaires and create systems that work for everyone. I don’t think the future is as static or hopeless as it’s often portrayed. Yes, there are risks, and yes, we’ll need a cultural shift, but I believe humans will find ways to adapt and thrive. Tools like AI and blockchain can be used to decentralise power and build a fairer, more inclusive future-if we’re careful and proactive about how we use them. Thanks again for such an insightful video. It’s sparked a lot of important discussions!

[@halnineooo136]

"Tools like AI ... -if we're careful and proactive about how we use them" So, who is "we" ? Do you own relevant stock share in the future oligopoly that will own the global AI+Robots? Because that's the only people who are part of that "we" who gets the choice about the things you want to do. So, are you part of that "we"?

[@rebootEDU]

@@halnineooo136 Good question, and I appreciate you calling this out. When I say "we," I don’t mean the tech billionaires or corporations that currently hold most of the power. I mean everyone else-the general public, the people who stand to benefit or suffer depending on how these technologies are developed and deployed. Right now, it might feel like the decisions are entirely in the hands of the oligopoly you mentioned, and I don’t deny that they hold a lot of influence. But there’s also a growing movement around open-source AI and blockchain that’s allowing more people to get involved. These tools provide a way for communities to create decentralised systems that aren’t controlled by any one entity. No, I don’t own stock in the companies shaping AI at a corporate level, and I’m not part of the elite deciding its future. But I am someone who believes in decentralisation and the potential for tools like blockchain to give power back to the people. That’s why I’m studying AI ethics-because I want to better understand how we can ensure these technologies are developed in a way that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few. I’m not naive about the challenges, but I think it’s worth striving for a future where "we" genuinely means all of us, not just the people at the top.

[@rebootEDU]

@@halnineooo136 Good question, and I appreciate you calling this out. When I say "we," I don’t mean the tech billionaires or corporations that currently hold most of the power. I mean everyone else-the general public, the people who stand to benefit or suffer depending on how these technologies are developed and deployed. Right now, it might feel like the decisions are entirely in the hands of the oligopoly you mentioned, and I don’t deny that they hold a lot of influence. But there’s also a growing movement around open-source AI and blockchain that’s allowing more people to get involved. These tools provide a way for communities to create decentralised systems that aren’t controlled by any one entity. No, I don’t own stock in the companies shaping AI at a corporate level, and I’m not part of the elite deciding its future. But I am someone who believes in decentralisation and the potential for tools like blockchain to give power back to the people. That’s why I’m studying AI ethics-because I want to better understand how we can ensure these technologies are developed in a way that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few. I’m not naive about the challenges, but I think it’s worth striving for a future where "we" genuinely means all of us, not just the people at the top.

[@rebootEDU]

@@halnineooo136 No, I don’t own stock in the companies shaping AI at a corporate level, and I’m not part of the elite deciding its future. But I am someone who believes in decentralisation and the potential for tools like blockchain to give power back to the people. That’s why I’m studying AI ethics-because I want to better understand how we can ensure these technologies are developed in a way that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few. I’m not naive about the challenges, but I think it’s worth striving for a future where "we" genuinely means all of us, not just the people at the top.

[@rebootEDU]

@@halnineooo136 No, I mean we the people, as in everyone. It is easy to think that the tech giants and mega-rich will gain all the power. But there are a lot of people working on blockchain solutions and people like me studying AI ethics to see to it that it is used to benefit us all.

[@BradleyKieser]

Trickle down economics has been shown to be a lie. It doesn't work. Mandated UBI and no-one able to have more than $1bn, the rest taken as tax, would be needed. People are still motivated by personal achievement, respect from peers and those close to them, etc. The rewards are emotional. The money reward model is also a lie.

[@sammencia7945]

Confiscating ALL wealth of ALL billionaires in the USA will pay for the USA budget for less than one year. Then what do you do?

[@JulioMacarena]

Where do they get this 'personal achievement' post ASI? Besting their top score in a video game? Painting a better painting than their last one? Is this really comparable to the struggle that we evolved to embrace?

[@RussianMusic0212]

Only a person with ZERO creativity would think either AGI or UBI could "kill human ambition."Only a tech- or money-sperg would see creativity (from the outside looking in) as "creating something new for the world." Zero understanding of self-determination and/or intrinsic ideation. Creativity for its own sake is lost on them. Let's hope these boring, unimaginative dweebs don't one day rule.

[@ew3995]

asi will never kill human ambition it will just render it obsolete and worthless instead

[@kayericwinkler]

Who do you think is running the show today?

[@hypertectonics7009]

@@ew3995”worthless” is thinking in monetary terms…

[@OnigoroshiZero]

@@ew3995 no one can make my creativity or ambition worthless.

[@loizospapaloizou9494]

Maybe not flat-killed. But history documents what happened at the years of communism. It did not have a positive impact on ambition and creativity.

[@Ungrievable]

Globally, there is already enough wealth and resources to feed and house everyone, but issues like resource distribution, political obstacles, inefficiencies, and economic inequalities make it challenging to achieve the goal. We don’t need A.I. to “save us”, we need systemic “upgrades” to our systems.

[@831Miranda]

100% ❤

[@chrisanderson7820]

Yup, we could end "need" tomorrow with the click of our fingers, the only thing that prevents it is the perversity of human nature.

[@DEFY_Studios.artist]

AI definitely won't save 'us', the greater population. AI will be/is aligned with corporate and military/Gov interests. All decisions will still be made by the corrupt ruling class. IMO there is nothing Utopian on the horizon at all. Quite the opposite.

[@brianmi40]

"We don’t need A.I. to “save us”," One look at the clown car loading up to head to DC with Orange POTUS at the wheel, the state of the Supreme Court, the utter disinterest in gun violence, the cost of housing, healthcare... Sure looks to hell like we DO need AI to "save us". At 67, I've seen more than my share of "men" holding the wheels of power. I for one am ready to hand that over to AI. AI is the ultimate "systemic upgrade".

[@sakshamShukla_]

When you use all of world's resources for giving free shelters and food, guess what happens? Your resources will keep depleting because there is no investment on more wealth.

[@algryt5252]

Great insite into the 'supply' part of the equation - which is kind of obvious. The supply will be limited only by natural resources like raw materials and energy. Humans will not be a necessary resource any more. But what about the 'demand' part? Who is going to pay for all that stuff if humans only provided with UBI to survive? PROFIT disappears. What will drive corporations, when they have the ability to supply whatever needed in whatever amount, but no one out there to pay?

[@BunnyOfThunder]

UBI studies have been done: human innovation increases. If this surprises you, I recommend the book Drive

[@Justin_Arut]

There's a reason billionaires are preppers who built massive underground shelters. Revolt ain't just a catchy name for an EV company.

[@aelisenko]

I've thought about this for a long time, I truly believe that if we achieve ASI, it will force a split of the species. You will have natural humans that will live a simple hominid life with varying levels of technology, and then everyone else who wants to stay relevant will have to join AI through brain interfaces and other technologies to be able to keep up and continue contributing and exploring our "ambitions". I will likely be one of the latter, leaving my humanity behind to explore what next stages are available in the universe.

[@Ramiromasters]

There is nothing easier to automate than being the owner of some property.

[@jonesani]

Infinite labour plus infinite resources equals infinite deflation. This means that the value of something is no longer defined by its price, but by its usefulness. But even then, since everything is available in abundance, classical economic theories would have no meaning anymore. The only question left would be how to distribute everything wisely.

[@MrNote-lz7lh]

I think capitalism can handle it fine. People just need to be employed as consumers. So what people choose to spend their UBI signals more production of it.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

Good point: what is the use of studying at Harvard, as it will not 'move a needle for my life'. Whats the point of buying TV if there is nothing interesting in TV and I need to pay 100$ in subscriptions? What's the point in planning a life .. actually...

[@jonesani]

@@MrNote-lz7lh its has to be an HUBI (high universal basic income).

[@TheNewOriginals450]

We definitely need more content like this, Mathew. Hundreds of years of change are about to hit society in the next 15 years. At least videos like this give us an idea of possible outcomes .

[@seanreynoldscs]

We can watch startrek next generation to see why people are motivated after they have everything they need.

[@kayakMike1000]

Dude, you know that this is a TV show, not real life? We're heading towards the mouse utopia damn quick.

[@Gaze73]

@@kayakMike1000 better a mouse utopia than a rat race.

[@DailyTuna]

Those were the people that were in the federation, which was like the military. You have to be pretty naïve to think that you can just give everything to everybody and they’re not going to become just lazy blah blah crap that just sits around smokes weed and watches Netflix all day.

[@sergefournier7744]

Yup, Kirk was living in Iowa and was drunk every night ;)

[@Luna2Mars]

Focus on not dying. And experience as much as possible. Travel, activities, make more humans and teach them to be good moral people with adventurous mindsets. From the deepest parts of the ocean to the outskirts of the cosmos, there is SOOOO much to explore!

[@Steve-xh3by]

I like how founders and business types assume that everyone's ambition is driven by the acquisition of capital. I'm a retired software engineer. My circle of friends and contacts contains mostly science-y types. I know of no one in my circle who was ever driven by money in their career. Most were driven by curiosity. Many worked for very little income or for free (once they had enough) in their careers. If you are defined by your work or driven by acquiring wealth, there is something deeply disturbing about that to many of us. That type of behavior is what creates the risk with AI. It is deeply immoral in my opinion.

[@dan-cj1rr]

Oh yea ? Hard to not want money when everything cost so much, we all want a house, food, etc and guess what u need fking money. Congratz you're retired and lived in the good time.

[@Steve-xh3by]

@@dan-cj1rr I didn't claim I didn't need ANY money. I just claimed that I was never motivated by money, and neither were most people I know. Once we had a reasonable amount (I live on $30k a year now), I (we) gave the rest away to people who needed it more.

[@SoulSolace12]

I keep seeing this argument in video after video: "What are we going to do with our lives once we have unlimited resources?" My answer has always been: games, competitions, personal challenges, entertainment, etc. It doesn't always have to be about solving the next difficult problem for the world. When I think of ambition I don't think of moving up the corporate ladder or starting my own business (in fact I've made it a point in life to prioritize total wealth (free time + money) instead of just monetary wealth). I literally just think of how I can better myself in the things I am passionate about. So I guess if your only passion is your work then the solution moving forward is to develop more passions outside of work.

[@VladamirOffPutin]

More like a massive increase in mental health issues, rampant drug abuse and crime increases beyond belief. The entire nation will become one huge public housing project.

[@nufh]

Yeah, totally agree. Many of us spend countless hours doing things we're passionate about, like hobbies, without even thinking about money.

[@NickDrinksWater]

Thats why Im hoping ai will help us solve all of these common issues and do everything for us at some point, so we can focus on other things

[@dgeorgaras4444]

@@NickDrinksWaterI spend my life watching KZbin, And Tic Tok and doom scrolling X. The AGI can’t be much worse.

[@MontyMcRib]

theres no such thing as unlimited resources. can every person have a personal jet? no. even logistically it cant work. therefore, you need to exclude some people. and once some people are excluded from a resource, that creates competition and scarcity

[@jeffsmith9384]

When you have an electric brain that turns money into answers, it matters not who is doing the thinking, it matters who is asking the questions

[@Powerof7even]

Humans wanting to innovate doesn't go away when people get paid to live, if anything it will do the opposite. The only reason human civilisation is where it currently is, is because of abundance of energy. The argument that UBI will make people complacent and less innovative is ridiculous when far more potentially talented people will have time to innovate and create. If anything the real thing stifling productivity is wealth hoarders which we currently have. Say in theory if there is a singularity, all knowledge will be known anyway so there literally won't be anything to innovate if it reaches its conclusion nor will there be anymore new art to create, to do anything else other than pay people to live would be cruelty for the sake of cruelty.

[@garethsmith7628]

Remember what Dave Packard said on "Why do people form (or join) companies?" "So they can do things together they could not do on their own." Even with UBI and AI, there are still many communal types of activities that will need, or be desired to occur, so people will meet and interact and come together, it might not be that different. For instance, I can't see any scenario looming where AI is independantly going to built starships and start launching itself all though our galaxy.

[@MrNote-lz7lh]

Well if AI go rogue it will conquer the galaxy by itself. But yeah. In the future humanity only role may be as overseers.

[@ili626]

0:10 You’re only now thinking about these problems?! You’ve been hyping AI for probably over a year now. For perspective, I’ve been thinking about this overall problem since the late 90s. Better late than never. Suppose I’m partly at fault for not having a blog/podcast to enlighten you

[@tearlelee34]

Mr. I Robot didn't mention UBI, profit sharing, subsidies, taxes on robots, nada during the presidential campaign. He did say pain is coming before utopia. Yesterday he reveals 5K Tesla bots will join the workforce this year. He is behind S Korea which announced plans to unleash robots to resolve pending birthrate implications.

[@sectronic2947]

People been talking about from 1950 about such things.. just look ay terence mckenna how far he goes... way beyond the current time

[@MikeG-js1jt]

The pressure is on, and the drive to be first (or at least competitive) is huge. It’ll be fascinating to see how companies strike a balance between rapid innovation and the responsibility to maintain robust security and user trust. It may roll out sooner than most people expect-but we can be sure that when it does, there’ll be a lot of scrutiny around how safely it handles the power to write and execute code on someone’s personal machine.

[@Salara2130]

This is why we need to socialize profits of automattion

[@_SimpleSam]

Socializing things NEVER works. "but muh roads and fire department" In reality, someone has to allocate. This means some neighborhoods end up with potholes and poor fire service. We absolutely HAVE to avoid 'equality' and focus on 'fairness'.

[@jamesjonnes]

​@@_SimpleSamFocus on merit.

[@kdarianl_4beautopa602]

Via Voluntary Cooperative Enterprises that are owned by the Consumers i.e. We The People!

[@_SimpleSam]

@@kdarianl_4beautopa602 Sounds like Anarcho-Syndicalism. Great idea in principle, used to support it. In reality, the devil is in the details. It has never worked, anywhere. You'll need more than youthful idealism, despite your well-meaning intent.

[@Salara2130]

@@_SimpleSam Better some potholes than potholes everywhere right? I dont know why people think its best for societ if only a few profit from the work of the many.

[@NirvanaFan5000]

I think we need to study the transition from work to retirement. I know it was hard for my dad - but he did it. now he's got hobbies and having fun.

[@flyingapple7119]

This text seems to assume that ASI can be controlled and that the wealthiest capitalists will use it be benefit themselves. But it's not given that ASI (or even AGI) can be controlled in the long run.

[@baraka99]

Fantastic video. Love this more exoteric videos discussing what's ahead beyond few years. Force us to think and discuss our own morality and socio / political lineage.

[@strangedayzz]

After a time, you may find that having a thing is not so pleasurable as wanting it. It is not logical, but it is often true - Spock

[@Daniel-Six]

Holy crap... did he really say that? Awesome.

[@theseriousprepper4372]

Thanks for doing your show. I’m a new subscriber. An old person and learning about AI is fascinating. I think your guy that wrote this article is overlooking religion as a influencer in the upcoming AI universe. It’s a huge, huge, component in society. I think it would be worthy of a paper.

[@ewhite3691]

If I didn't have to work and never had to interact with other humans, that would be the greatest form of wealth for me. I honestly don't need much to be happy and it doesn't bother me if other people have more.

[@name1483]

Sleep will be a big issue post AGI, imagine going to sleep and waking up and the world has drastically changed 😆

[@BayouMaccabee]

Sounds like the future will be extremely dystopian to me.

[@halnineooo136]

Yup. The race to the bottom is something crowds are good at. In Europe everybody participated in the deindustrialization. The rich competed for survival by relocating production to Asia. The poor happily threw themselves on cheap products imported back from Asia by the rich. We will sheepishly get laid off and wait for whatever fate the powerful will decide for us.

[@kevjr4able]

Ya.. 28m.. disability with my right shoulder.. I don't wanna do this capitalistic world/lifestyle anymore.. if we can get UBI or a new system that a.i/smartest minds can think of ill be fine.

[@Gaze73]

​@@kevjr4able The problem is that in a dystopian AI future, UBI will be conditional on whether you're a "good citizen" or not. And the government can decide at any time what makes you not good, such as disagreeing with their policies.

[@halnineooo136]

@@Gaze73 Or the masses of us may just be an invasive species filling the landscape with waste and noise or at least that's how we may be perceived. What need would the State have for us? Not needed as soldiers, there are robots for that. Not as policemen, robots for that. Not workers, robots for that. Not musicians, virtual AI artists for that. Those who own AI+Robots own the world and are free from need. Free from needing our work, from us buying products, from our sacrifice as soldiers. They won't need us for the slightest thing. We're just a pollution hustle generating blob of ten billion mammals.

[@Gaze73]

@@halnineooo136 People will riot and fight before that happens. It's not like someone can make a 100 million robot army in secret. And if the government announces they want to build a massive robot army, people won't have it.

[@e11e7en]

This video consists of matt describing the most likely effect AI will have (to accelerate the already obscene consolidation of power by the powerful), then deeply hoping it never happens. Humanity is not psychologically or spiritually ready to create or wield the power of AI. Appreciate you Matt 💙 but we can't be foolishly optimistic. It's smartest to assume we will do with power what we've been doing with power

[@cah048]

Human innovation and the desire to be creative will never go away. It is a basic part of being human. What you see created reflects the health of a society. Creativity is like a fart. If you force it it turns to shit. If you take away the need to spend most of your time surviving you have time to actually be genuinely creative then that is when we can truly advance.

[@andybaldman]

*Ever notice how many youtube videos today are just someone either reading aloud or watching someone else's content?*

[@OriginalRaveParty]

It's called "React Content". It's the lowest form of content to create. Often flouts all copyright laws too.

[@lyndonsimpson1056]

And often without any expertise on the issue. It seems like on the fly takes. The AI youtube content landscape is so dissociated from what tha actual tech is right now... AI hype has ruined my recommendations as a software engineer...

[@andybaldman]

@@lyndonsimpson1056 Yes. It's just creators taking the lazy route to keep pumping out more and more content. I wish they were rewarded for promoting other people's original content and ideas, without leeching off of them. (Just send me to the source so I can read it myself) the same way they're paid to promote products. Our society isn't structured to incentivize what's good for the masses. It's optimized to capture our time and attention to make other people money. But we get to watch the slop.

[@ntesla5]

In a country with a high population and good amount of resources, yet plagued by poverty, rising crimes, scams, and widespread corruption. What can we expect after AGI is received, will our life will be changed or it will worsen?

[@andtrixr3284]

The idea of infinite resources stands in contradiction to the reality of a finite planet.

[@PanSeiklios]

Yes. There is no such thing. There might be, however, enough resources to go around for everyone to have a good life with capacity to satisfy and pursue their interests without the need for redistribution. Hopefully our civilization will also pull of reining in extremely resource strong organizations from gaining too much power over our shared reality.

[@MrNote-lz7lh]

True! But there's enough resources in our solar system alone for each person to have the current world collective wealth to themselves.

[@ExpatGlobetrotter]

Matt, your last few videos are right up my alley! I just finished a book that should be available by the end of February. This book addresses the job and income distribution issue and provides an incredible answer. I would love to share this book with you when it becomes available. THE NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LEGISLATION AND THE FUTURE OF WORK HOW THE DADEC PLATFORM CAN SAVE US FROM AI JOB DISPLACEMENT A Comprehensive Guide to Proactive AI Integration, Lifetime Stipends, and the Gradual End of Traditional Social Security

[@HanzDavid96]

The problems occur if politic does not change. It's all about distribution. We have a very high interest to change politics when AGI is reached.

[@taymizami]

Extremely fascinating and great video, Matthew! One area I didn’t see discussed much is what happens to state education in a world where human labor becomes irrelevant. Generally, the state invests in educating its population to drive more value, but I assume that in a world with AGI, this might no longer be necessary? I’m curious about the implications this would have on the education level of the population-not to mention the potential for misinformation thrown into the mix. Would everyone just be homeschooled by a personal AGI? Then who controls that? Or why even bother? Question being: Will education levels contintue increasing, decrease or remain the same gloablly with the advent of AGI? I hope you bring out more videos like this. It’s fascinating, and we all need to discuss what kind of world we want to live in while some of us still have the power to shape it.

[@vskalinin]

There are few good examples in our world, we don’t need AI for that. Look at the education in some 3rd world resource economies. E.g. pre-war Russia last 25 years have been deriving most of its value from oil/gas and it needed like 5 million out of 140 million population to run those industries and get 80% of trade income. It resulted in a degradation of healthcare and education (think of the fate of relatively robust soviet science and space industry ) largely because of under-investment, a tremendous brain drain and political degradation, eventually creating a monopoly of one man over entire country. Remarkably (and sadly), after the start of the war, there is a need in labour again, which leads to money distribution and opportunities for many, but that’s another story. The trajectory of Russia needing little labour to get $$ serves a good illustration of where those incentives might push us.

[@Nytecrawler2010]

I keep seeing people post videos like this without even so much as glancing in the direction of the elephant in the room - the US is about 2 weeks from turning into a fascist dictatorship. Project 2025 is going to haul the country back to the 1700s, and Christian nationalists are going to run the show. What the hell do you think happens with A.I. in that circumstance? None of this techno-utopia stuff, that's for sure. And what do you think the group of criminal grifters that is about to run America is going to expect from A.I.? Nothing good, and as we've already seen, the tech oligarchs are bending over backwards to kiss the ring. I think we're about to enter one of the darkest periods in human history. A.I. is going to usher in precisely what Ilya Sutskever was worried about: "infinitely stable fascist dictatorships." We'll be living in a permanent global gulag. I'm amazed more people aren't talking about THAT.

[@markupton1417]

I hate to say it... you've been brainwashed by MSNBC.

[@michalwiktorow2188]

I am not following your thoughts. Firstly Christianity and comunists in one post - one with the most similar to democracy values and other created the gulags. Secondly, people were kept there for: work (not the case post AGI), for political reasons (you could, but not billions), for reasons that they were not 'aligned' with communist party. How does that apply to ASI, especially the concept of sinister politicians or capitalists ruling some global aristocracy - who is ruled when ASI comes to existence? Do you think that they will be able to rule ASI for too long? Or maybe ASI will get to its own conclusions? I see in your comment just a politics, what's more 'local politics' in the US - this is just 300 MLN people, what about other 7+ BLN? Most semi-intelligent politicians do know that either 'full-utopia' or 'full distopia' would be just a deeper swing of history pendulum and the harder comback would be so the middle-ground is the safest bet.

[@FredMBeshears]

Two thoughts on AGI and societal change: “It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes. The innovator makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new. Their support is lukewarm ... partly because men are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience.” -- Niccolò Machiavelli “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, [especially] when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” -- Upton Sinclair

[@sleepingbag2424]

4:22 Matthew, I respect your argument but I feel like its just unimaginative. When practical embodied AI rolls around, it will pave the way for all humans living to have full, unfettered, personal access to all basic necessities, and more. Implying that we NEED to go get a job and work for our entire lives is EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. Will some people choose to laze around all day because they don't NEED a job to survive? Undoubtedly so! Capitalism is a toxic asf economic system. The endless drive to make the number go up has benefitted us as a whole for the past couple centuries, but its inherently designed for 95% of its players to LOSE. Aka: consumers! With the extreme technological boost that the industrial revolution set in motion, we now nearly have the ability to be completely independent of a wider economy, if we know what we're doing. It has always been up to us to create our own meaning in the universe. Giving up and accepting the status quo of working yourself to death, while Mr. Big Wig Trust Fund Nepotism sits on his ass and begs the government for more laws turning the working class into slaves, is precisely what the billionaires want you to do 😋✌️ TLDR: even with UBI, it is naive to believe that human innovation and creativity will simply "go away" when we no longer have to bust our ass to simply survive.

[@solidreactor]

So many good comments, please do more of these kind of "insightful" or "insight seeking/exploring" videos about AGI and post AGI. We are headed for major changes so would be good to talk about it before it happens. Would love to see a panel discussion, perhaps with you and other content creators like, MLST, Freedman e.t.c. with some guests like, Sustskever, Karpathy, Altman, Hassabis e.t.c. (let a guy dream)

[@pauldacus4590]

Wow, the last time I heard talk like this was... 1999-2000.

[@daxwax1]

Great content as always

[@lynco3296]

Technological innovation has historically been more of a disruptive force throughout history. To think the most dynamic technological innovations of all time are going to usher in some sort of static neo-feudal society is pretty ridiculous.

[@ScottVanKirk]

Glad to hear you talking about this. It's been my opinion for decades that the true threat to humanity comes not from AIs but from people. A lot of people with money have money because they value money more than they value other people. Is unlikely that they will hit some level and say " oh I've got enough now, I'll give everything else away. " Instead, as the have-nots become more desperate, they will use their money to build higher walls and purchase bigger guns. Looking down on the "little people" Will become their main source of pleasure.

[@SavesTheGame]

The goal isn't to have drive, it is happiness. Looking internally and more spiritual outlooks will be how we maintain mental health. We won't know yet if Super Intelligence will have emotional IQ. Humans will have to solve the problems in front of them and within our societies and cultures (historical trauma / childhood trauma / racial and other prejudices) once these are worked on, we can better work like an ant colony having more focused global goals and prosperity. (This is all in the good Timeline where we don't turn out like Alita Battle Angel with the Super Elite far removed from the impovered)

[@mattd8725]

How will politicians be so important in a world where effectively nobody pays taxes and fully digitalised global capital could crash the economy of any country, if they don't like some politician?

[@ZaxstUser]

Bro i am afraid we gonna get a different kind of fallout before agi

[@softwarephil1709]

You can use money to buy goods and services. That’s the shocking prediction?

[@danielbuckman2727]

I am rich and have no idea what to do with my life... If it's that big of a problem dude donate your wealth! Go get your ass and minimum wage job. This is called propaganda. The rich want you to believe their money would make you miserable.

[@kenbrett2]

Great show! More on this topic would be nice

[@DileepaRanawake]

Interesting point about Norway and abundance- for every Norway - there is a whole lot more oil dictatorships. Regarding not having purpose - it is not a justification for exploitation or the perpetuation of suffering. People won’t work - isn’t a reason to make them suffer. Infact the idea that beating out the lazyness of people was a justification used for slavery! If we tackle inequality - we improve quality of life for all. The goal isn’t unbounded progress- it’s to make people’s lives better. If people struggle to find purpose - we’ll let that challenge be the next challenge, when people aren’t watching their loved ones die whilst the health insurance companies rake in the $$ A world with a lot of happy people not doing work, is infinitely better than a world with a few very rich people and massive human suffering. If we don’t tackle inequality and distribution- ai won’t make things better. When Cathy Wood did a TED talk about vehicle automation creating $30tn and insane CAGR she also mentioned that would largely go to owners. Hint - it wasn’t the people loosing their jobs who benefited from that growth. Growth and unlimited theoretical resources is meaningless if we can’t address distribution.

[@Kabbinj]

There is a massive news emergent industry on the rise in the near future, people who work to activate and give purpose to others. In an utopian outcome, its most likely very easy to become completely passive and depressed, due to the lack of need to do anything. A big portion of the population would really struggle due to this. This new profession would attempt to get people out of their homes to socialize, get people to study and learn, get people to find passion and meaning. And i think this new profession will be absolutely critical to keep quality of life high, and prevent insane suicide numbers.

[@Sedjwin_]

We had the same issue when industrial machines, (specially farming equipment replacing entire families working on the feilds). What was assumed to happen was nobody needing to work, yet more jobs were created. The issue we have now is the negotiation time with this. it took 100+ years for the industrial age to replace most of that labour force and more artisitic jobs became the norm, opening up industries like marketing, resturants and tourism. This WILL happen again, but this time we need to adapt immediatly.

[@831Miranda]

Does all your food come from machines?

[@Sedjwin_]

@@831Miranda how many people would you have to employ just to replace a single tractor?

[@lyndonsimpson1056]

And the best people to adapt in a highly tech future are techies. This is why laugh when people say that devs are cooked. All the contrary, we will be the most skilled for AI integration and maintenance in a world where every company will need and want it. Good luck out there!

[@ginocote]

So, what you're saying about the text and your opinion is that if you’re not paid, you would never make KZbin videos again? I see plenty of people, for example, who create open-source programs, working for days, months, or even years to offer free software. I believe there will always be people who want to create because the idea of doing something solely for money will need to be reevaluated. I understand that with AGI, people might stop creating programs for free because AI will handle it. This just to shows that some humans enjoy being creative, and it’s not money that drives them.

[@alexstone1492]

People hopes of dream world: AI and robots create infinite value, there is enough for everyone to live happy. Reality: AI powered drones and androids protect the top 1% mega rich by oppressing everyone else 😂

[@rs8197-dms]

An observation about UBI. A lot of people seem to be assuming that given very large resources, governments (or benefactors) will pay out UBI which is copious. I do not see this as a likely outcome. The populace has always been easier to control when they have to be concerned about their existence. I am fairly sure that a UBI outcome will result in UBI which is not much above the minimum level to sustain existence and pay rent. Wealth from UBI is not even a remote possibility.

[@michaelcushman]

People will loose influence as labor, but voting is power. Violence is power. When most people are in the same crappy circumstances, they join forces. And if they cant vote as in 1848, they revolt. In the US, in the 1890s, the glided age, there was a war on greed and laws changed, including changes in taxation.

[@michaelcushman]

Without labor, there is no income. The tax system will shift to a tax on capital. The blockchain makes it possible to keep track of all asset ownership and AI can calculate estimated capital value and tax. Many economists see the shift coming.

[@ew3995]

people are not needed by the government, so the government wont care about votes. if we are all getting handouts from the government so we dont starve. you are going to be hard pressed to find any rebels with enough balls and physical strength to topple the robotic army that is 10 trillion times a better battle strategist than you and your friends planning war games in your bedroom.

[@Ryan-nj5ue]

revolt through violence will be impossible with AI controlled robots and cameras everywhere

[@balahmay]

In the book, “The Millionaire Next Door” the author showed interesting findings about children of hard working affluent parents where the children were given too much. Those children go on to have unimpressive lives and they don’t accumulate wealth the way their parents did. So with UBI would that be similar? Self motivated people might be freed up to do their best most creative stuff. Those seeking experiential travel might be able to do more while they are physically able. What would happen to birth rates? What about risk of national conflict?

[@raduromanesti6408]

"After agi..." Lets get to agi first

[@lofigamervibes]

Not sure that's the best approach. Let's get to AGI without planning ahead whatsoever?

[@raduromanesti6408]

@lofigamervibes agreed , but i dont like him implying that we already achieved it

[@lofigamervibes]

@@raduromanesti6408 Ah, gotcha, my bad, I misunderstood.

[@lyndonsimpson1056]

Yes this. We are sooo far from it, don't listen to Sam Altman he's just hyping up investors at this point.

[@raduromanesti6408]

@@lyndonsimpson1056 and this youtuber

[@thelalomorales]

One of your best videos yet ! ! !

[@PrincieD]

We're all screwed, greed will see to that

[@gaming_for_sanity]

I hope when AI is sufficient enough to freeze everyone in place economically, it will also realize it doesn’t make sense for certain people to have 5,000X of others and equalizes everything

[@timswartz4520]

The rich will never share.

[@YouYorick]

Cool burst of relevant ideas and interesting questions - thx

[@JasonBradbury]

Really enjoyed this one

[@nrusimha11]

I am happy to see you getting serious about the societal implications of AI. We're moving beyond being dazzled by the technology's novelty.

[@MetaMetis]

Hi Matthew, Love your videos ! I think it strange that there is an assumed correlation between UBI and any form of change to the will to work. So many goals are higher than a goal that is a means to a other ends. Even when AGI / ASI is here, look at the universe, look at humanity - unless we become ants in terms of intelligence, which is possible but we'd probably merge before - isn't it rather likely that we would move on to asking harder questions, and solving harder problems? Keep up the great work 🫶🏻