Elon Musk Promises Abundance. It's Time to Decide Who Will Enjoy It

Elon Musk predicts that artificial intelligence will bring an 'era of extraordinary abundance' within five years. The author, founder of the 'Let' organization, argues that the new wealth could increase inequality if it remains in the hands of a minority. He proposes establishing an Israeli Citizens' Fund to finance poverty reduction, similar to the fund from gas profits. The fund would be independent and finance education and vocational training. Ahead of the elections on October 27, he calls for a democratic distribution of AI's value.

In an op-ed, Gil Dermon, founder of the 'Let' organization, refers to Elon Musk's interview with The Economist, in which he predicted that AI would surpass human intelligence within five years and bring an 'era of extraordinary abundance'. Dermon argues that the central political question is who will own this abundance. He warns that if wealth remains concentrated among the owners of models, infrastructure, and capital, it will become an accelerator of inequality. He notes that Israel, a technological power, has nearly two million poor people, and proposes establishing an Israeli Citizens' Fund for the AI era, which would be independent and finance poverty reduction and opportunity gaps. He compares it to the fund established following the Sheshinski Committee on the levy on gas and oil profits. Dermon calls for establishing a principle that part of the value be returned to society, and ahead of the October 27 elections, to make the fund a flagship project. He emphasizes that the success of the revolution will be measured by the ability to create a strong and non-divided society.