Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson
Technological progress does not automatically guarantee shared prosperity. History shows that without deliberate choices and strong institutions, innovations like artificial intelligence often enrich the elite while leaving ordinary workers behind.
The historical record demonstrates that technological revolutions often concentrate wealth and power among a select few unless workers collectively demand fair distribution.
Current trends in artificial intelligence favor replacing human labor instead of creating new tasks, which threatens to hollow out the middle class and stagnate wages.
Corporate leaders and venture capitalists frequently promote a self-serving narrative that equates all technological disruption with inherent societal progress.