The Limitless Podcast The Intelligence Curse: How AGI Makes Us All Obsolete | Luke Drago & Rudolf
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May 27, 2025 Luke Drago and Rudolf Laine, co-authors of "The Intelligence Curse," delve into the unsettling implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI). They explore how AI could disrupt economic structures and social mobility, potentially creating a new caste system. The conversation addresses the shifting dynamics of the workforce as automation targets lower-level jobs, and raises concerns about democracy and human connection in an increasingly automated world. They emphasize the need for responsible governance to ensure AI benefits are equitably distributed.
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The Intelligence Curse Defined
- The intelligence curse describes incentives when AGI automates most human labor, leading to less need for governments or corporations to care about people.
- This breaks a historic economic exchange and creates instability relying on goodwill rather than mutual benefit.
Resource Curse Analogy
- The resource curse is when resource-rich countries often become poorer due to weak incentives to diversify their economy or build strong institutions.
- This analogy helps conceptualize how AGI might centralize power and harm societies if not properly managed.
AI Replaces Entry-Level Jobs First
- AI tends to automate entry-level jobs first, replacing bottom tiers of company hierarchies before middle and top management.
- This bottom-up automation disrupts traditional corporate employment pyramids by progressively removing human labor from foundational roles.
