The AI Future Is for Everyone
Healthy societies also recognize that safety requires checks and balances. If only a handful of institutions have superintelligence, they will inevitably exercise a controlling influence over economics, science and politics. Even with the best intentions, that concentration would limit people’s ability to choose their own future.
As a thought experiment, imagine only one person had a superintelligent lawyer. He would have an unfair advantage in court—even if his position was wrong on the merits. That would lead to a worse society. But now imagine everyone has a superintelligent lawyer. Justice would be carried out much more fairly and efficiently than it is today. When people are empowered, they naturally check and balance each other and the power of larger institutions.
Most societal questions can’t be solved by attempting to align a single benevolent superintelligence. Humanity isn’t a monoculture. There is no technological solution that can align with everyone’s opposing interests and diverse values at once. Any singular superintelligence would have to prioritize some values over others and in the process would be incapable of being benevolent to everyone.
Many risks require serious attention. In most cases, like cybersecurity, the history of open-source software has shown that giving everyone full access to powerful systems will be the best way to protect safety and security over time. For other risks, including biological risks, more coordination between governments and other institutions on responsibly deploying capable models will be helpful.
This applies to the economy and the future of jobs as well. There is a balance between the use of AI as a tool for automation versus as a tool for empowering people to expand their skills and build new businesses. If the balance leans toward automation, the impact on jobs and the economy may be negative.
But if superintelligence is widely distributed, then I believe we will see more jobs in the future, not fewer. It will be significantly easier to start businesses without raising large amounts of capital. I expect the economy will become more entrepreneurial with a greater number of people working at small businesses rather than larger companies.
Developing superintelligence will be the most profound technological advance we will see in our lifetimes. Meta is committed to building with the principles of individual empowerment, invention and balance of power. The arc of human history has bent toward putting more power in people’s hands. If these values lead the way, then I am optimistic that we can build a positive future for everyone.
