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Welcome to Dispatch Markets! The public debate over AI here in America is awash with concerns about the local impact of data centers and the employment consequences for the next round of college graduates. These serious issues should not be ignored. They shouldn’t, however, be the central question.
When AI was an idea on the horizon, the tone of conversations about AI was wondrous and hopeful. We imagined all the ways that technology could change the world and the future of humanity. As we have rounded the corner on the reality of usable AI, the tone has changed. Rarely is wonder or even optimism part of the discussion.
When we focus only on the constraints or the negative consequences associated with AI, we miss the forest for the trees. Meanwhile, China seems to grasp the scope and gravity of the technological revolution we are facing. We need to understand, as the Chinese seem to, that whoever wins the AI race will set the tone for the future. What ultimately matters is American AI domination, with the greater goal of setting humanity’s future on a liberal trajectory, instead of an authoritarian one.
