"AI is here to stay,” according to conventional wisdom. From news headlines to academic papers, Americans are led to believe that the rise of artificial intelligence is inevitable, and that we all just have to bear the consequences.

Decades ago, the “inevitability” of globalization was an excuse to hollow out U.S. manufacturing in pursuit of short-term profits, with disastrous effects on former industrial hubs. Do we really need to let AI sweep through society like a hurricane? 

AI companies are working to replace all human workers and concentrate power in the hands of a select few tech elites. Big Tech CEOs themselves are predicting that AI will replace human beings within years, not decades. Tens of thousands of jobs have been cut already (if not more), and recent graduates in AI-exposed fields are struggling to find work. 

In their race for dominance, AI acolytes are building ever more powerful systems without knowing how to control them. They could subvert the political system, reduce human influence and increase the risk of war.

You might be thinking: “This is silly, all ChatGPT does is output words on a screen.” But we’re not just discussing chatbots.

AI companies are spending trillions of........

© USA TODAY