David Sacks, known in circles as the White House AI and crypto czar, is urging us to take a more measured view of artificial intelligence. He argues that the rampant fears of AI-triggered job losses are largely blown out of proportion, even if the tech’s capabilities are impressively evolving.
In a recent post, Sacks pointed out that while AI is constantly improving in quality, usability, and cost, the idea of it reaching a ‘godlike superintelligence’ that runs autonomously is far from realistic. He reassures us that these steady advances in performance deserve applause rather than alarm.
According to Sacks, significant business value from AI still hinges on substantial human input. In his view, the apocalyptic predictions of mass unemployment are just as hyped as the promise of artificial general intelligence (AGI) itself. His perspective finds shared sentiment from figures like Google Brain cofounder Andrew Ng, who emphasises that there are plenty of tasks beyond AI’s current reach, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who has dubbed this stage of development ‘artificial jagged intelligence.’
If you’ve ever worried that technology might edge you out of your job, Sacks’ balanced take is reassuring. It serves as a reminder that while innovation continues to shape our world, the human element remains indispensable.
The discussion on AI’s impact on employment is far from over. However, insights from experts such as Sacks and Ng encourage us to keep our expectations grounded and to appreciate the steady progress of engineering, rather than succumbing to doomsday scenarios.
