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AI viewed as normal tech risks ignoring historical harms

A recent analysis suggests that viewing AI as a normal technology might be misleading, as historical technological revolutions like agriculture and industrialization caused significant near-term harm to the majority of people affected. These transformations, while ultimately beneficial, led to worsened health, increased labor, and greater inequality for those living through the transition periods. The author cites examples such as the agricultural revolution's impact on health and the industrial revolution's harsh factory conditions to argue that the immediate negative consequences of major technological shifts are often overlooked. AI

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IMPACT Argues that AI, like past transformative technologies, may cause significant near-term societal harm despite eventual benefits.

RANK_REASON The cluster is an opinion piece analyzing historical technological shifts and drawing parallels to AI, rather than reporting on a new AI development.

Read on LessWrong (AI tag) →

COVERAGE [1]

  1. LessWrong (AI tag) TIER_1 · Davidmanheim ·

    If AI is normal technology, history is not reassuring.

    <p><span>There’s a truism that technology is good - even if it creates winners and losers, it improves the world. </span><a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/XKeQbizpDP45CYcYc/on-the-value-of-advancing-progress"><span>Toby Ord argues</span></a><span> that the conclu…