Technology doesn't democratize things. Initially, it benefits early adopters. Those with the resources and education to adopt and adapt fast.
The new tech buzzword is: AI agents make everybody more efficient.
Yes, it does. But not equally.
It's a good punchline and buzzword, saying that technology democratizes things - information, knowledge, education, transportation, resources, communication, or, with contemporary AI agents: work efficiency.
But this is rarely true.
I don't remember any technological innovation who really democratized things - at least at first.
Technology tends to benefit first the rich and the educated - those who already have the capacity to invest, absorb and adapt faster.
Yes, technology trickles down, eventually. But not immediately.
It was the same with automobiles - first adopters were rich people; later beneficiaries were industrialists who sold (Ford Model T) affordable cars to the working class.
Same with writing, printing, books, and newspapers: for hundreds of years, the beneficiaries were still the upper and middle classes, who were already literate, or had the resources to educate their children. For hundreds of years after Gutenberg, the majority of the population remained illiterate and didn't really benefit. Intergenerational mobility was significantly lower at the time, when education was a luxury, and most children had to start working VERY early in factories or agriculture.
Same with the internet and email: first few years, it was reserved for universities, researchers, top tech entrepreneurs, academia, financial magnates - not everybody.
So no, AI is not for everybody, it doesn't democratize first, and it doesn't benefit everybody equally. We have to move and adapt fast.
New relevant study (from Marius Comper):
See also discussion
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18YjsXCRPB/
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