Power, power, power; It’s a word that gets thrown around all the time, and for good reason. We [humans] are fundamentally driven by the desire to attain power, and this can be attributed to our molecular make up, evolutionarily. Natural selection favors those who are in power, and those whose genetics allow for powerful rankings in society. We are constantly competing for higher levels in a power hierarchy that defines human existence. In today’s environment, “power” is synonymous to “status,” “reputation,” or “money.” The consolidation of power over the centuries has led to the consolidation of wealth in America (three men [Bezos, Musk, and Buffett] own as much as the bottom half of Americans). And although western/capitalistic society is primarily built on rewarding those who contribute the most value (subjectively), the generational wealth of three individuals should not make up more than 170 million Americans.

Historical Consolidation of Power

I’m going to provide two brief examples of historical consolidation of power to set the stage for how we can think about the consolidation of power in the future. Although the past is nothing like the future on face value, similar trends and parallels can be drawn within the fundamental analysis.

The Industrial Revolution

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the invention of new machinery like the steam engine, spinning jenny, and power loom led to a significant shift in economic power. Those who could afford to invest in these technologies often became extraordinarily wealthy, leading to the rise of a new industrial class. These industrialists often had significant political and economic influence. However, many workers faced poor conditions and low wages, leading to economic disparity and social unrest.

The Internet Era

The invention of the Internet and subsequent digital technologies has led to significant power consolidation in the tech industry. Companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple have amassed extraordinary wealth and influence, shaping not only the economy, but also many aspects of society and culture. These tech giants have access to vast amounts of data and the ability to influence the flow of information on a global scale. The digital divide – the gap between those who have access to digital technologies and those who don’t – has also led to disparities in economic and educational opportunities. I remember 10-15 years ago, a trillion dollar company was unheard of and even speculative; now there are 5 of them.

How AI Can Democratize Power

There are numerous ways that Generative AI could potentially democratize power. Here are three of my favorites:

Access to Expertise: Generative AI can synthesize knowledge from a wide array of topics, making it possible for individuals who lack access to traditional educational resources to obtain expert-level information.

• Analogy: Imagine a large library filled with books on every subject you can think of. Traditionally, to get the knowledge from these books, you’d have to know how to read, have time to go through numerous books, and the ability to understand complex subjects. Now, imagine if there was a librarian who could instantly read and understand every single book in the library and summarize the information you need in a simple, easy-to-understand way. Generative AI is like that librarian, making expert knowledge accessible to anyone, regardless of their previous education or experience.

Content Creation and Cultural Production: Generative AI can assist users in creating content – from text to images to music to movies to video games. This can significantly lower the barrier to entry for people who want to engage in these kinds of creative endeavors but lack the necessary training or resources.

• Analogy: Think about a sophisticated music studio with a host of complex equipment. Normally, to create a piece of music, you’d have to understand how to play an instrument, know how to use all the equipment, and have a good sense of musical composition. Now, imagine if there was a music studio where all you had to do was hum a tune or describe the kind of music you want, and the studio automatically produces a polished piece of music based on your input. That’s what generative AI can do, simplifying the creative process and allowing anyone to produce content without needing specialized training.

Data Analysis and Decision Making: Understanding and interpreting data requires a high level of expertise and is often confined to data scientists and statisticians. However, with generative AI, users can ask complex questions about data sets and receive answers in natural, human-like language, enabling them to make data-driven decisions without requiring deep technical knowledge.

• Analogy: Picture a huge pile of puzzle pieces, representing different pieces of data. Before Generative AI, you’d have to spend a long ass time to fit the pieces together and see the whole picture. Imagine if there was a tool that could instantly put the puzzle together and even explain what the picture means in a language you can easily understand. That’s the power of generative AI – it can analyze complex data and provide insights in a clear and understandable way, enabling more people to make data-driven decisions.

How AI Can Consolidate Power

I’m hoping AI doesn’t lead to a further consolidation of power, but if it does, here are three possibilities:

Information Control: If generative AI technologies are primarily controlled and used by a small number of powerful entities, such as certain governments or large corporations, they could potentially manipulate the information landscape to suit their interests. For example, these entities could use generative AI to produce persuasive narratives or misinformation at scale, influencing public opinion and consolidating their own power

• Analogy: Imagine a town where the primary source of news is a single newspaper controlled by a single person or group. They decide what stories get published and what perspective is highlighted. If they want to, they could manipulate the information to suit their interests, misleading the town’s residents to their advantage. In the context of generative AI, the entities that control the technology could act like this newspaper owner, using AI to generate information or misinformation at scale to shape public opinion.

Automated Decision Making: While generative AI can democratize data analysis and decision making, in the wrong hands, it could also centralize these processes. Powerful entities could use AI to automate key decisions in areas like hiring, lending, or law enforcement, potentially reinforcing their own biases and existing power structures.

• Analogy: Think about a factory where a machine has been programmed to select items based on specific criteria. If the machine’s programming has bias (say, it selects all blue items and leaves out all red ones), it will consistently favor blue items. Similarly, if generative AI is used to automate decisions, any underlying biases in the algorithms could result in skewed outcomes, reinforcing existing power structures and biases.

Economic Disparities: The use of generative AI can lead to significant productivity increases and cost reductions, potentially leading to vast wealth generation. However, if the benefits of AI are primarily captured by those who own and control the technology, it could exacerbate economic inequalities. For instance, if companies use AI to automate tasks previously done by human workers without redistributing the benefits (e.g., through retraining programs, wage increases for remaining workers, or other forms of wealth redistribution), it could lead to a concentration of wealth and power.

• Analogy: Imagine a gold rush where those with the means to purchase and operate advanced mining equipment can extract more gold at a faster pace. They get richer, while those who can’t afford such equipment get left behind, leading to wealth concentration. Similarly, with generative AI, those who own and control the technology could potentially accumulate massive wealth, potentially exacerbating economic inequalities if the benefits aren’t shared more widely.

Conclusion

I’ve stated in past blogs that I’m a very optimistic person; I tend to see the light in most things and am always hopeful of the best outcome. Some may call it naivety, but the reason I’m optimistic is because I know I’m strong enough to weather inevitable droughts and face dire circumstances when they arise. And so the same logic can be applied here for my view on Generative AI. I believe that the advancements in AI models and the proliferation of Generative AI in all sub portions of human life will lead to an era of mass abundance that we can’t even begin to understand. We already live in an age where we are theoretically able to feed every single person on earth, however the issue isn’t that we’ve found the solution; the issue is implementing the solution logistically and logically.

The future with AI will inevitably lead to some consolidation of power to those who are generationally wealthy or first movers who strike it in the AI gold rush. However, the mass proportion of human life will experience abundance where Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs won’t be something we strive for, but something we simply have. This will lead to a Renaissance and new art forms will be born like the art of prompt engineering or specific ways of thinking. I can see a new art form arising that encapsulates the best way to ask AI for an intended outcome. For example, if I want to create a movie based off of Interstellar, what is the best way to prompt an AI model to give the intended output? This way of thinking might become more valued than the end result, leading to a revolution in the way we think about value contributions.

The consolidation of power is something that will always be there. It’s something we [humans] have struggled with in the past, and it’s not going away anytime soon; we’re selfish creatures. In order to best mitigate the consolidation of power in the future, through Generative AI, we need to establish guiding principles now. That’s why it’s so important to have international legislation that defines the boundaries of Generative AI and who can operate in the space. We have antitrust legislation to prevent monopolistic business practices, so we need similar legislation to simultaneously limit ultimate power through Generative AI while also maximizing the potential benefits. We have to focus on distributing resources to everyone globally, allowing every individual to play a part on the global stage. One way to do this is to provide grants to unfunded or underfunded individuals with great ideas for Generative AI; a sort of “Venture capital” branch of the government with the aim of building AI for good.

I want to reiterate that everything I’m talking about with regards to the future of Generative AI is speculative, and I have absolutely no idea where the hell we are going. I think it’s important to look at the past for guidance, but to not let the past guide us. Times are different now and the future won’t be anything like we imagine it right now. So it only makes sense to envision the best possible outcomes, while preparing for the worst.