Will AI Help Democracy—or Dictators? - Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu with Nicholas Thompson

The internet was supposed to be a boon for democracy. With broad access to information and opportunity, the thinking went, marginalized and disenfranchised populations could overcome barriers, close wealth gaps, and uproot dictators. But things didn’t work out that way.  Now, as we enter the AI era, the question of whether technological progress is compatible with democratic ideals is more pressing than ever. Will AI deliver where the internet fell short—or make inequality worse?

To help answer that question, MIT economist and Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu joins Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, for a conversation about the mistakes the West made with the last technological revolution and how we can avoid them with this new one. He makes the case for “pro-worker” AI and explains why the pursuit of AGI  is blinding Silicon Valley to the tech’s true potential. 

Produced independently of The Atlantic’s editorial staff.

(00:00) Introduction

(02:59) Why liberal democracy needs a new governing philosophy

(06:11) How digital technology and automation fueled wealth inequality

(14:10) Who will capture the value of AI?

(21:40) Which jobs are most AI-proof

(24:03) How responsible is technology for the crisis facing democracy?

(33:48) Why institutions lost public trust

(43:28) Where we went wrong with social media

(47:04) How AI has increased authoritarian control in China

(50:13) Why "social engineering" via AI must avoid imposing values and preserve debate

(54:23) The risks of treating AI purely as an automation technology

(56:35) What "pro-worker AI" looks like

(01:02:10) Has the media failed to properly cover AI? 

(01:05:20) What Daron would do if he had an unlimited budget to invest in AI

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices