The greatest participatory effort

"AI is coming for our jobs—no question about it. But what if the real question is: Should we be afraid of that?" While this may be true in a few decades, I can’t help but think about the ways this might happen and, more importantly, why.

Was AI Invented to Replace Humanity?

Was AI ever created with the intention of replacing humanity? Last week, I was listening to a brilliant episode of Planet: Critical where the equally brilliant Ed Zitron discussed the origins of AI, and something really stuck with me: until the launch of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, the tech universe hadn’t been shaken in quite some time. The last major invention was the iPhone, introduced by Steve Jobs in an iconic keynote in 2007 (by the way, the speech is a masterpiece of public speaking—definitely worth a watch). Smartphones were the last real innovation we had, followed by a series of updates, color variants, multi-lens cameras, and facial recognition systems, while the core technology behind them remained largely unchanged.

Now, you may recall Moore’s Law, which offers a solid explanation for why nothing groundbreaking has happened in a while (there's only so much we can miniaturize the physical world, right?).

But then 2022 arrived, and ChatGPT was released, defining the moment when everything changed.

Yes, But How Did It Change? And Why?

If we take a look at OpenAI's mission, it says: "Ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity." So far, so wonderful. But how is this benefiting humanity? The company, despite the name, is not accessible to everyone, and its models are not open at all. Subscriptions are extremely expensive, and it’s no coincidence that companies like DeepSeek have been shaking up Silicon Valley in recent weeks. DeepSeek offers a truly open model that aims to empower everyone to use it. But what about the rest? For most of the models conceived in the U.S. (with Grok 3 being the latest release on February 17, 2025), access is controlled and requires a subscription or is tied to a specific platform that also needs a subscription.

What’s at Stake?

What I see happening is a stratification in access to these tools. Those who can afford to pay and are quick to invest will have access to the latest, most powerful models, while those who can’t pay will only have access to older, less powerful models. You might think, "Not a big deal." Well, it is. Because just a few days ago, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, announced three major observations regarding his company’s progress in developing AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), which, as you can imagine, will benefit humanity.

What Is the Promise of AGI?

AGI represents general intelligence, in contrast to the ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) of ChatGPT, DeepMind, Grok 3, and similar models. AGI would be able to learn new skills without prior training, solve problems, and reason like a human—connecting disparate domains, thinking in a branching manner rather than linear, adapting to various contexts without specific programming, and generating new solutions rather than just assembling information. Hypothetically, AGI could even possess a form of self-consciousness.

We could argue that, in the most optimistic scenario, the first AGI could emerge in 5 to 10 years, but based on the way innovations are currently rolled out, we can already predict some scenarios. New models are often released to select corporations "in preview" for several months, granting them an unparalleled competitive advantage. Even a 6-month head start in the rapidly evolving world of AI is HUGE. If you’re smart, you can do a lot in that time before the technology becomes available to the general public—or even before it’s free for the masses. Do you see what I see? A locked, controlled system of empowerment. The elites will run faster and faster, while everyone else is left behind.

Half of a Gift

However, this is only half of the story. This system has created a form of dependence on the companies developing and releasing AI models: they control entire industries and the pace at which innovation happens.

Is AI Destroying the Labor Market?

I’m not sure it’s AI itself that will destroy the labor market. In fact, I think we, as everyday users and businesses, are inadvertently playing a key role in defining AI’s use cases. Many applications of AI were already in use before ChatGPT, in various forms. This is also why Elon Musk left OpenAI, despite having co-founded the company with Sam Altman—Tesla’s AI research was in direct competition. But the everyday use cases, industry-specific applications, and the infinite possibilities AI is now taking are the result of the most impressive accidental collaborative design effort I’ve ever witnessed. And we’re just getting started. I’m not sure anyone in Silicon Valley saw this coming, but now they do, just like China does. And the race for the highest fundraising rounds and valuations has already begun.

Who Has the Best Chance to Let Humanity Benefit?

There is one candidate who seems poised to conquer this space: Elon Musk. He has fingers in many pies, all of which are quite juicy, and his AI can be implemented across his companies in tech, mobility, science, communications—and now, politics.

Should I add more? Let’s wait for the next tweet. The story is unfolding before our eyes.

But what if it’s not AI we need to worry about? What if it’s how we choose to use it?"

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