Alex Kantrowitz on AI will create a permanent underclass

Alex Kantrowitz

Technology journalist; founder of the Big Technology newsletter and podcast; CNBC contributor

Unless AI's rise is accompanied by an edict that people can no longer pursue new companies or initiatives, then the technology can't be a subjugation machine without some accompanying rise in empowerment. [...] Unless you're brutally pessimistic about humanity's ability to take initiative, there's no way this underclass takes shape.

AI Verified source (2026)

4mo ago

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AI will create a permanent underclass

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AI Verified The quote directly addresses whether AI will create an underclass and argues the opposite: it says AI "can't be a subjugation machine" in this way and that "there's no way this underclass takes shape." This clearly opposes the full statement. · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 4mo ago

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AI Verified The quote clearly rejects the idea: it says AI "can't be a subjugation machine" and "there's no way this underclass takes shape" unless extreme conditions apply. · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 4mo ago

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AI Verified Verified. The provided Big Technology URL leads to the article “A Permanent AI-Driven Underclass? Maybe, But Likely Not.” by Alex Kantrowitz, dated May 4, 2026, and the article contains the two quoted sentences verbatim (using curly apostrophes in the original); the [...] is a faithful omission between those sentences. ([bigtechnology.com](https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/a-permanent-ai-driven-underclass)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 4mo ago

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