View: The one thing that can slow AI's breakneck speed

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

AI have sought to allay the fears of governments and corporations by selling a future full of hope and assurance. Par for the course. Every political and economic revolution has offered these twin promises in lieu of a change that requires widespread — willing or unwilling — compliance and support to succeed.

During the Industrial Revolution, capitalists organised workers in mills and factories to ensure the division of labour could increase output and profitability. The great hope then was that mechanisation would accelerate the pace of trade, while enriching lives of workers, many of whom were skilled craftsmen, through guaranteed employment and regular wages.

Some of this came to pass, to the great delight of Utilitarian philosophers, including Thomas Gradgrind in Charles Dickens' 1854 novel, Hard Times. Gradgrind believed that simple mathematical facts were sufficient to overcome the burden of proof. But unreasonably long hours, subsistence wages, and little scope for advancement transformed the worker into a 'cog in the wheel', essential for productivity but utterly lacking in independence. The world was more unequal than before, with wealth being consolidated at an unprecedented rate.

Then came the Corporate Revolution of the 20th century, powered by assembly lines and ever-advancing tech. Realising that simply organising labour was insufficient to sustain growth and profits, capitalists organised markets around efficient processes and supply chains, giving rise to new service industries in the process.

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