Billionaires are trying to lull us into AI complacency. Don’t let them | Steven Greenhouse

As resistance to data centers grows, Musk and others are painting a rosy picture. But the US must institute protections

As Americans grow increasingly worried that AI will wipe out millions of jobs and create a permanent new underclass, tech billionaires are rushing to reassure us not to worry – the subtext being: please don’t bring out the anti-AI pitchforks.

Even Elon Musk, who recently merged SpaceX with his AI company, has joined the effort, essentially telling people “don’t worry, be happy” about AI. Musk wrote last month that “Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government” would save everyone thrown out of work by AI.

Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labor and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues