Engineer Venkatesh Rao has argued that current AI strategy resembles mercantilist hoarding of gold rather than fostering open innovation. He contends that many leaders treat intelligence as a scarce resource to be restricted by experts, using safety concerns to maintain political influence. This approach mirrors early capitalism where elites viewed ordinary people merely as labour inputs while controlling finite wealth. Rao suggests this mindset ignores how AI could actually increase human cognitive capacity by making previously impossible projects feasible. The technology might drive demand for new ideas instead of rendering workers obsolete. Political focus should shift from protecting legacy knowledge jobs to ensuring fair access to these tools. Even autonomous agents could generate their own demand for intelligence if they are not strictly limited to following orders. Guardrails remain necessary for safety, but they should not prevent independent action.
The core issue is whether society accepts intelligence as a public good or a private monopoly. Restricting access limits the total volume of problems humanity can solve. Open availability allows more minds to collaborate on complex tasks. Historical economic shifts show that expanding access often creates new markets rather than destroying them. The alternative is a system where only a few control the tools of thought.
- Mercantilism treated wealth as finite land or gold
- AI could make previously difficult projects feasible
- Fair access matters more than protecting legacy jobs
