Dan Bowyer argues that generative AI will probably disrupt most jobs, including his own, and that this is necessary for productivity and climate goals, but only works for society with informed government regulation and economic models that spread the benefits.
- Dan Bowyer expects AI to seriously disrupt every industry, quickly though not overnight, just as industries such as coal mining and fax machine manufacturing have died out.
- With nearly 10 billion people and limited resources, he sees AI-driven productivity and efficiency as essential to meeting climate commitments.
- He proposes a two-step approach: government that understands AI sets the right tax and regulatory frameworks and then lets free markets build within guardrails, and capitalism is made to work for more people.
- Levers he lists include more co-ops, smarter tax, more opportunities for women, investment-focused tax incentives and better startup support.
Generative Ai is going to steal my job.
Is this true?
Probably, yes.
Or some form of Ai will seriously disrupt it – our future depends on it. Every industry will be affected. Including mine.
Tech wise, AGI is (probably) a long way off and no it won’t be crypto, that’s just theft and greed. Nor will it be De-fi or Web3 or the Metaturd. All mostly QE fuelled libertarian noise.
Societal progress will be fuelled by Ai. Accelerating change at a time when we need it most, just to put in context.
If we want meaningful progress, this is a great thing.
There’s a reason why we don’t have more coalminers, or CD manufacturers, of fax machine builders. Or or or. All dead industries. And rightfully so. Everything turns over. Everything reinvents itself.
The Ai ‘effect’ won’t be overnight but it will be quick.
If we want to keep our promises to climate, it will need to be – developing and embedding Ai is an imperative. Look around you right now, consider what you buy, how you live, where you travel, what you do… Think how much carbon is embedded into all of that. All ridiculously inefficiently sourced, manufactured, delivered.
With soon to be 10bn of us on this rock, and with limited resources we need smarter, faster, better.
Mars is not the answer. We’ll just screw that up to.
SO right here right now we have to be more productive and more efficient. And that’s what Ai will give us, in industrial sized buckets and spades.
What an incredibly exciting time to be alive, and also scary and precarious. Putin isn’t the only monster in the room.
So what to do…
There is only one way to make it really work for a healthy society = Proper govt. Proper regulation and control delivered in a specific 2 step approach.
- We need people in govt who truly understand it, to set the right carrot & stick tax/reg frameworks, invest in it. BUT THEN stay out of the way to let free markets build it within guardrails.
- Then we need to ensure capitalism work for more. The other side of the Ai coin is in how we choose to support education and economic models. No Robin Hoods, but smarter ways to engage more with more.
And it can be done. There are many levers to pull:
- More co-ops (hope JL doesn’t melt)
- Smarter circular investment
- Smarter tax
- Family support – more opportunities for women
- Triple bottom line regulation that works
- More investment focused tax incentives
- More govt supported investment into Ai
- Better corporate partner initiatives
- Better start-up support (net creators of opportunities)
- .. and so much more.
Because humans are greedy and stupid it will have to be pushed by bold politicians – who are a pretty useless bunch because we made them that way. So, a new political party, with new tech enabled thinking, with different types of people are needed.
Do we want Skynet or a better world for our kids?
It’ll mean tough choices, but they are ours, and the time is now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will generative AI take people's jobs?
Dan Bowyer thinks it probably will, or will at least seriously disrupt them, in every industry including venture capital. He sees this as a good thing for progress, as old industries have always been replaced.
Why does Dan Bowyer think AI is needed to meet climate goals?
So much of what we buy, how we live and how we travel carries carbon from inefficient sourcing, manufacturing and delivery. With limited resources and nearly 10 billion people, AI offers the productivity and efficiency needed.
How should governments respond to AI disrupting work?
People in government who understand AI should set the right incentives and regulation, invest in it and then let markets build within guardrails. They should also support education and economic models, such as co-ops, smarter tax and better startup support, so that capitalism works for more people.