Jeff Bezos: AI, an Economic Blessing Despite Concerns

The fear of being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) is widespread, but Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and founder of Blue Origin, does not share this concern. In an interview with CNBC, Bezos expressed his optimistic vision of AI, which he sees as a catalyst for immense economic upheaval, leading to a period of abundance. He even stated that workers should almost thank AI for its integration into their daily lives.

For Bezos, AI is comparable to a bulldozer given to someone who is still digging the foundations of their house with a shovel. He believes that this technology will significantly increase productivity and enhance the value of workers rather than replace them. However, this vision is easier to defend for someone who already possesses several billion dollars.

Bezos envisions a future where AI will gradually make consumer goods, such as food, housing, and construction, less expensive. He imagines that in many dual-income households, one partner could choose to leave the workforce without financial difficulty. However, he warns that this vision can only be realized if the development of AI is not hindered by excessive regulations.

Despite this optimism, the current reality shows that prices continue to rise in several sectors, including on Amazon's platforms, and that many jobs are already disappearing under the guise of technological efficiency. Moreover, many AI tools still struggle to prove their ability to generate genuine productivity gains. Some critics see the comparison of AI to a bulldozer as a metaphor for a machine that crushes rather than helps workers.

Nevertheless, Bezos remains confident and is not worried about a potential financial bubble surrounding AI. He believes that even if this investment frenzy were to go awry, it would still be beneficial by stimulating innovation. He also stated that his own projects are fully benefiting from this enthusiasm for AI. For example, his robotics and artificial intelligence company, Project Prometheus, reportedly raised nearly $10 billion in just a few months.

Finally, Bezos addressed the issue of ultra-wealthy taxation, asserting that a massive increase in taxes on billionaires would not resolve the economic difficulties faced by the middle class. This statement echoes revelations from ProPublica published in 2021, which highlighted how some billionaires, including Bezos, use loans backed by their stocks to drastically reduce their taxes. According to these investigations, Bezos's effective tax rate was less than 1% on a portion of his wealth.