Tech executives are profiting from AI as some prepare for a possible catastrophe |
Some of the world’s most powerful technology executives are investing heavily in artificial intelligence while simultaneously preparing for the possibility that it could threaten humanity.
From underground bunkers to isolated islands, some of the industry’s wealthiest figures appear to be making plans to shield themselves from the very risks associated with the technologies that their industry is helping to develop.
The benefits of technological innovation are not necessarily shared by everyone, nor are its risks. Those who profit most from developing new technologies may not be the same people who bear the consequences when things go wrong.
Sociologists have long studied this unequal relationship through the concept of “risk positions.” Just as people occupy different positions in society according to wealth and economic power, they also occupy different positions when it comes to risk.
At one end of the spectrum are those who reap substantial benefits from producing risks while avoiding most of their consequences. At the other are those who benefit little from these activities but bear a disproportionate share of the costs.
Who benefits and who pays?
The economic rewards associated with producing risks can be enormous. Industries that generate environmental damage or financial instability,........