Who Is @BasedBeffJezos, The Leader Of The Tech Elite’s ‘E/Acc’ Movement?

This article on Forbes describes the memetic leader behind a major group of AI proponents, a movement called “effective accelerationism” or “e/acc”. And it pits them against another movement known as effective altruism or “EA”.

The e/acc movement believes in unfettered technological progress, while the EA movement tends to espouse caution and, often, regulation.

The whole OpenAI brouhaha seems like it might boil down to a conflict between these two movements.

Reading this article, I get the feeling that my own beliefs are not well aligned with either movement. There’s so many unknowns about the future of AI and its impact on humanity. But, if we assume that it is going to be another large technological leap forward, and a fundamental advancement in computation and human computer interaction, then it feels important to consider where the dominant movements driving AI forward will bring us. I fear, with either movement, if played out to their logical conclusions, might result in similar dystopian outcomes.

The question I would want to consider in either movement is: “Who owns the machine?”

With e/acc’s hyper-capitalist ideas, I think a limited set of corporations would own the means of operating advanced AI. Capitalism tends to concentrate wealth and power in a limited set of hands.

With EA, it might be the government (and whatever limited companies they grant a license to). Regulation and strict control tend to also concentrate power in a few places.

Either outcome seems bad.

Compare this to earlier computer advancements that tended to decentralize innovation and control.

I’m thinking of the early days of the Web. Or even earlier to the dawn of the personal computer, where Laine Nooney’s book on the software ecosystem of the Apple II shows a history where innovation via many independent developers, creating software that empowered entirely new industries. Personal computers, solving problems in the lives of everyday people.

If AI is going to be as impactful as the Web and even the personal computer, I think we ought to consider how we can decentralize this advancement. What models allow for this technology to be owned and operated by everyone? What models tend to consolidate power into a few hands? What keeps the computer a tool that empowers the user, and what makes it a machine that enriches and empowers a select few?