Recent studies have shown that generative AI tools boost the performance of low performers more than high performers, suggesting that they could reduce skills-based inequality. Meanwhile, the decreasing cost and increasing portability of energy, driven by advancements in solar power and batteries, could shift innovation back from "bits" to "atoms", benefiting those in physical labor roles. The author concludes by expressing optimism for a future where the middle and working classes reap the most rewards.
Key takeaways:
- The author argues that the rise of generative AI and cheap, portable energy could lead to a decrease in skills-based inequality, as these technologies are more accessible and beneficial to average individuals, not just the highly educated or skilled.
- Generative AI has been found to boost the performance of less skilled individuals more than high performers, acting as an equalizer in various fields, from customer support to law and writing.
- Cheap and portable energy, driven by advancements in solar power and batteries, could enable a wide range of economic activities that average people can easily master, thus increasing their productivity and wages.
- The author notes that wage trends and the shrinking college wage premium in recent years may already indicate a shift towards a more egalitarian society, where the middle and working classes reap more rewards.