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We can envision a future where companies, having turned to AI, lay off employees in droves, accelerating unemployment to staggering levels. This could create a society where most people lack means for survival while a few—those owning the AI technology and other resources—amass unprecedented wealth, thereby leading to a stark socioeconomic divide.
Rethinking the Social Contract
Altman's invitation to reconsider the social contract reflects a longing for new frameworks through which society must navigate the coming challenges. The social contract, a theory popularized by philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century, posits that citizens give up certain freedoms to gain security and rights in return.