AI leaders predict mass unemployment. Callum Williams, on The Intelligence, says they’re wrong. He points to the Industrial Revolution, where British employment nearly tripled over a century despite steam engines. Even mid-20th century job disruption from computers was higher than today’s. Williams says if GDP growth exceeds 2.5% alongside broad job losses, that would signal unprecedented AI disruption - current data doesn’t show it.
“During the Industrial Revolution, the population tripled and job creation outpaced destruction. Steam engines took decades to move through the economy, not weeks.”
- Callum Williams, The Intelligence
The optimism isn’t shared in Silicon Valley backrooms. Jasmine Sun, on Bankless, reports executives pivot to ‘small business empowerment’ publicly but privately describe the median person as screwed. They see a future where capital no longer needs human labor. This dissonance fuels populist fire; AI ranks 29th in voter issues but has risen faster than any other.
The public backlash is physical. Sun points to attacks on tech leaders as a sign the democratic system is failing. On Breaking Points, Zach Exley warns that once CEOs realize AI agents can replace entire departments, the Board of Directors will realize they no longer need the CEO. Tucker Carlson debates Kevin O’Leary on his show, highlighting a viral commencement where students booed at the mention of AI.
“When the people building the technology admit it might destroy the labor market, the public listens.”
- Jasmine Sun, Bankless
The infrastructure war is already here. Carlson notes a proposed Utah data center would draw nine gigawatts - more than twice Utah’s entire usage. Nevada utility providers inform residents they’ll stop servicing homes to redirect power to data centers, driving 70% local disapproval. O’Leary frames this as a survival race with China, which is building 400 gigawatts of coal power for AI.
Williams offers the historical benchmark. Sun proposes policy responses: longer unemployment insurance, universal healthcare for freelancers, rethinking education. Carlson warns Universal Basic Income is a shallow substitute for purpose. The question is whether AI spreads like steam engines - over decades - or like ChatGPT - into every home in a year.
