consumer demand will shift from middle-class demand (medium houses, family cars) to super-rich demand (large luxury castles, personal jets and yachts, high-profile entertainment, etc) + provide security to superrich (private automated police forces).
This has already been happening. The gap between wealthy and poor is increasing and the middle class is squeezed. Interestingly, simultaneously, the level of the poor has been rising from extreme poverty to something better so we can claim that the world is relatively better off even though it is also getting more unequal.
poor got more comfortable life because of globalization: they became useful labor for corps. Things will go back to previous state if their jobs will go to AI/robots.
I am genuinely mystified that you think this is an adequate response to my basic point. The economy cannot be sustained this way. This scenario would almost immediately lead to a collapse.
The level of wealth concentration you are suggesting is impossible to sustain. History shows that when wealth inequality gets to a certain point, it leads either to a revolution or a total collapse of that society.
The economy cannot be sustained on the demand of a small handful of wealthy people. At a certain point, you either get a depression or hyperinflation depending on how the powers that be react to the crisis. In either case, the wealthy will have no leverage to incentivize people to do their bidding.
If your argument is, they'll just get AI to do their bidding, you have to keep in mind that "there is no moat." Outside of the ideological sphere, there is nothing that essentially ties the wealthy to the data centers and resources required to run these machines.
History absolutely shows that multiple empires where power/wealth was concentrated in hands of few people sustained for hundreds years.
Revolts could be successful or not successful, with tech advancements in suppression (large scale surveillance, weaponry, various strike drones) chances of population to strike back become smaller.
Economy could totally be built around demand and wishes of super-rich, because human's greed and desires are infinite, new emperor may decide to build giant temple, and here you have multi-trillion economy how to make it running.
History does not show that. Not at the levels of concentration we're talking about. The wealthy cannot maintain control over this technology. Again, there is no moat.
Do you have a constructive point to make? Unless you don't expect weaponized robots to ever be constructed, I can't see how this isn't an obvious conclusion
I already made the point. There is no moat. You cannot keep that technology for yourself. Much like nuclear technology. Others will develop it in tandem, and we'll reach an equilibrium.
There are fewer than ten nuclear states, two of which have almost all of the nukes. All but four countries in the world are signatories to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon. Only nation-states possess nuclear weapons, even the wealthiest corporations and individuals would be obliterated if they ever tried to obtain or build them.
99% of population absolutely can't build high quality LLMs or/and agents. Not talking about network effect: those who can build still need to find the way to sell those LLMs and agents. There is significant moat.
