Say No
Resisting the "inevitability" of AI
We can still oppose the creep of totalizing control into our lives. We can look at certain technologies, certain modes of domination, and say: No.
Brian Merchant - Blood in the Machine
Technological change can sometimes appear inevitable. If we do not adapt, then we risk being left behind. We must upgrade our skills to compete in the job market. Businesses must adopt new tech to remain competitive. And countries must innovate lest they fall behind their rivals.
This has been the narrative for many waves of technological change. Now, they are repeated about AI.
Just take Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, who made the case how:
Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable. You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.
With even more sinister undertones, Palantir’s CEO, Alex Karp, has argued that:
The question is not whether A.I. weapons will be built; it is who will build them and for what purpose.
Of course, Huang and Karp are biased. They have huge financial stakes in their prophecies coming true. They need to stoke the fires of inevitability, threat, and geopolitical competition so that VCs, institutional investors, and governments keep the money taps flowing to their capital hungry companies.
