AI: Three Things can be true about AI at the same time? AI-RTZ 1056
I’ve long said in these pages that ‘two opposite things can be true at the same time’. Especially in technology waves. And this AI Tech Wave may be expanding that to three. Let me explain.
Axios explains the current reality in AI as “The Three Realities of AI”:
“Three distinct camps are forming around AI: power users, doubters and resisters.”
“Why it matters: AI isn’t just advancing — it’s fragmenting how people see the world.”
“The big picture: The disconnect is showing up everywhere — from job-loss fears to data center protests to actual violence.”
“Doubters still see AI as glitchy chatbots and viral fails. They aren’t using its full capabilities.”
“Power users run AI agents around the clock, trading tips on how to automate work and decision-making.”
“Resisters understand AI, think they know where it’s headed and want no part of it.”
Your truly has discussed the first two often, and in detail. Including AI Origin stories where both started in earnest.
“What they’re saying: “There is a growing gap in understanding of AI capability,” former OpenAI and Tesla AI leader Andrej Karpathy posted on X. He added that many people let a single session with ChatGPT’s free tier define their view of AI.”
“Meanwhile, Karpathy told the “No Priors” podcast that he now spends 16 hours a day issuing commands to AI agent swarms and rushes to exhaust his tokens every month.”
“AI adoption is a tale of two cities,” Box CEO Aaron Levie said on X.”
“By the numbers: It’s a virtuous cycle. Power users have more success and more productivity boosts than casual users.”
“Anthropic’s March economic impact report found that experienced users attempt harder tasks and succeed more often.”
“The result is a new kind of economic gap between advanced users and everyone else.”
The third category, especially beyond AI Researchers, is a notable new addition.
“Between the lines: The third group of resisters are getting louder.”
“In Indianapolis, a legislator said his home was hit by gunfire, with a note left behind saying “no more data centers.”
“And on Friday, a man was arrested for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and had also visited OpenAI’s offices before being taken into custody.”
“The San Francisco Chronicle reports that someone with the same name as the suspect has published anti-AI essays and participated in a PauseAI Discord server. PauseAI is an activist group that advocates halting AI development.”
The violence is of course particularly disconcerting, especially around the main personalities of the technologies:
“State of play: Protests are becoming more common in San Francisco, where many AI firms are based, and in communities targeted for new data centers.”
“A growing number of workers with technical skills fear AI will make them obsolete.”
“In a viral post, a Meta engineer captured a spreading anxiety. “I’m done with tech and I’m done with this unfair world,” the engineer wrote.”
“In a post after the attack, Altman said: “It will not all go well. The fear and anxiety about AI is justified; we are in the process of witnessing the largest change to society in a long time, and perhaps ever.”
“The bottom line: The people building and using AI at full power are living in a very different world from everyone else.”
At times of breakneck change, emotions can be as turbulent as fundamental and financial changes.
We are seeing these forces unleashed in the early years of this AI Tech Wave. And they’re very different than prior tech waves.
But it’s useful to note, catalog and track them all the same. Stay tuned.
(NOTE: The discussions here are for information purposes only, and not meant as investment advice at any time. Thanks for joining us here)
