Capitalisn't What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About AI, with Arvind Narayanan
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Oct 16, 2025 
Arvind Narayanan, a Princeton computer science professor and co-author of AI Snake Oil, discusses the hype surrounding AI and its potential pitfalls. He argues that the true impact of AI is being overstated and warns of parallels to past technology bubbles. Narayanan explores how capitalism distorts technological progress and examines the risks of deregulation. He also delves into the issue of corporate control over data, the challenges of AI in scientific innovation, and the implications of an AI crash on the economy.
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Privatized Profits, Public Costs
- AI development often privatizes profits while externalizing social costs like disrupted education and mental health impacts.
- Arvind Narayanan argues capitalism's incentives drive haphazard AI deployment benefiting firms more than the public.
Use Existing Regulation As Guardrails
- Regulate high-risk sectors rather than assume a wild west; existing rules can constrain harmful deployment in fields like medicine.
- Use liability, professional standards, and FDA-like approval to slow unsafe AI integration.
The DoNotPay Robot Lawyer Stunt
- DoNotPay claimed a 'robot lawyer' and even offered a publicity million-dollar bet tied to the Supreme Court, which was never feasible.
- The FTC later found the company's claims misleading and the stunt exposed benchmark hype versus real legal work.
