Gigaom AI Minute – November 19

Transcript

There's a popular perception that technologies like artificial intelligence are going to boost the productivity of the "high-skilled" worker but not so much the "low-skilled" one. I do not hold this view. This is far from obvious to me. If you go back a century or two when most trades actually had tools of some kind--lawyers had shelves of law books and machinist had their tools and doctors had their tools and all of the rest--tools were generally, relatively expensive. They were often, by the way, exempted from bankruptcy laws. Those expensive tools, by and large, made a barrier to entry into that field.

The interesting thing about digital technology is it has the potential to be virtually free. A smartphone with artificial intelligence can empower someone with very little in the way of disposable income to buy tools of their trade. Just using the power of the digital technology they can increase their productivity and develop new ways to earn a living. Potentially multiplying their output many more times than other people.