I am optimistic, but it is more blind faith than conviction. What has happened in the past was built around humans being at the center of these economic activities. We operate, we manage and we plan. What makes humans uniquely qualified for these jobs is our ability to use tools and accumulate knowledge through learning. If both these things can be mostly replaced by machines, it is hard to imagine what is going to happen.
Then there is the learning constraint.
Only a small percentage of people inside a big organization are responsible for generating data or making critical decisions using these data. The rest are involved in distilling data and passing data along. These jobs provide a gradual progression path that actually fits most people's learning aptitude. The super majority of people don't develop proactive learning habits. They prefer to be taught, just like in school. No one's fault, just the way things are. Will they be effective in the future?
Good piece. Many are simply afraid of change. Authenticity, creativity, and uniqueness are becoming tremendously more valuable in an artistic and entrepreneurial Renaissance.
When we can automate away tedious tasks, our competitive advantage becomes our humanity.
It's misleading to argue there's "no evidence" for AI job disruption. The IMF estimates 40% of global jobs are exposed, the WEF projects 92 million displaced by 2030, and Goldman Sachs found this April that AI-driven job losses leave workers with years of scarring - depressed income, delayed homeownership, lower probability of marriage. Dario Amodei warned AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. What you've done here is filter for the stats that favour AI investment and used this piece to reassure the market.
Yes, every major shift is cyclical. Society will eventually find its footing. But that doesn't justify the immediate impact on most people. The vast majority don't care about what the world looks like in 50 years. They care about whether they'll be able to pay their bills next week, they care about how to raise their kids for a future they can't read.
It's irresponsible to silence that panic with 26 charts while glossing over the elephant in the room, and offering nothing on how people should actually handle what's coming.
One thing that is often forgotten in this debate is that the Age of AI could potentially differ from previous technological advancements, in the sense that AI can outperfrom humans in all domains. Tractors needed humans to drive them and Software needs developers, but with the arriving of AGI and robotics the only thing left for humans to win on is ideas and consciousness, and this is something currently only founders and the top percents excel at. Also there will be a gap where the average human will never be able to learn enough to surpass future AI. But i hope the future will prove me wrong, or we can use that AI superiority to live a life without mandatory work.
Hi David — would you or another representative from a16z want to come on my podcast series SUSPICIOUS MINDS: AI AND THE APOCALYPSE to discuss this? We are an Apple Top 100 Series and Top 25 Science Series. Drop my a line if you’re interested!
I am optimistic, but it is more blind faith than conviction. What has happened in the past was built around humans being at the center of these economic activities. We operate, we manage and we plan. What makes humans uniquely qualified for these jobs is our ability to use tools and accumulate knowledge through learning. If both these things can be mostly replaced by machines, it is hard to imagine what is going to happen.
Then there is the learning constraint.
Only a small percentage of people inside a big organization are responsible for generating data or making critical decisions using these data. The rest are involved in distilling data and passing data along. These jobs provide a gradual progression path that actually fits most people's learning aptitude. The super majority of people don't develop proactive learning habits. They prefer to be taught, just like in school. No one's fault, just the way things are. Will they be effective in the future?
An interesting perspective to me from a philosophical standpoint;
1: Humans have historically outsourced their thinking and cognitive functions. AI won’t change that.
2: AI has been more unifying for humanity overall. People are focused on the doomsaying and united in their vocality against AI.
Yes. This fits with my intangible value / value migration thesis. We have quite clearly not run out of things to want or things that need doing.
https://thecoherencereport.substack.com/p/invisible-value?r=dvftt
Good piece. Many are simply afraid of change. Authenticity, creativity, and uniqueness are becoming tremendously more valuable in an artistic and entrepreneurial Renaissance.
When we can automate away tedious tasks, our competitive advantage becomes our humanity.
a16z, you can do better than this.
It's misleading to argue there's "no evidence" for AI job disruption. The IMF estimates 40% of global jobs are exposed, the WEF projects 92 million displaced by 2030, and Goldman Sachs found this April that AI-driven job losses leave workers with years of scarring - depressed income, delayed homeownership, lower probability of marriage. Dario Amodei warned AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. What you've done here is filter for the stats that favour AI investment and used this piece to reassure the market.
https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2024/01/14/ai-will-transform-the-global-economy-lets-make-sure-it-benefits-humanity
https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/07/economy/ai-job-losses-long-term-effects
https://fortune.com/2025/05/28/anthropic-ceo-warning-ai-job-loss/
Yes, every major shift is cyclical. Society will eventually find its footing. But that doesn't justify the immediate impact on most people. The vast majority don't care about what the world looks like in 50 years. They care about whether they'll be able to pay their bills next week, they care about how to raise their kids for a future they can't read.
It's irresponsible to silence that panic with 26 charts while glossing over the elephant in the room, and offering nothing on how people should actually handle what's coming.
One thing that is often forgotten in this debate is that the Age of AI could potentially differ from previous technological advancements, in the sense that AI can outperfrom humans in all domains. Tractors needed humans to drive them and Software needs developers, but with the arriving of AGI and robotics the only thing left for humans to win on is ideas and consciousness, and this is something currently only founders and the top percents excel at. Also there will be a gap where the average human will never be able to learn enough to surpass future AI. But i hope the future will prove me wrong, or we can use that AI superiority to live a life without mandatory work.
Hi David — would you or another representative from a16z want to come on my podcast series SUSPICIOUS MINDS: AI AND THE APOCALYPSE to discuss this? We are an Apple Top 100 Series and Top 25 Science Series. Drop my a line if you’re interested!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/suspicious-minds-ai-and-the-apocalypse/id1844631307?i=1000763049275