AI can contribute to human flourishing—but there are some things it can’t change

The rise of artificial intelligence has been surrounded by plenty of doom and gloom. Debates about AI are shifting to the risk of replacing professionals and entire industries—from doctors and radiologists to Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” Top shot.

America’s worries related to AI unite even Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently unveiled a bipartisan plan to tackle AI and protect traditional jobs.

While there is still much uncertainty about the impact of AI, there is room for improvement when it comes to the economics of prosperity. Current AI iterations of large language models it can be strengthen the American Dream by increasing social mobility and reducing inequality. This power to promote prosperity should be at the forefront and center of today’s policy-making discussions.

Starting with the glass half full, AI has already advanced education and learning, providing unprecedented access to information. Beyond just accessing information, AI algorithms provide a personalized learning experience tailored to each individual’s needs, regardless of location or socioeconomic background.

Education leads to work. While concerns about AI’s impact on employment continue, there are still more job vacancies than job seekers. Labor force participation remains very low, indicating that more people can and should join the labor market.

The risk of AI automating our jobs is still far in the future. Historical evidence shows that new technology often complements human skills rather than completely replacing them. AI LLMs can enhance human intelligence, improve productivity and efficiency across a variety of industries. As a result, people can transition into more complex and rewarding roles that require higher-level thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. For example, “new jobs” are growing, AI and LLM that help develop skills through non-traditional educational methods. This leads to other types of jobs and even new categories of employment.

AI can also lower barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation. AI-powered tools empower entrepreneurs to analyze large amounts of data, identify market trends, and make informed decisions, reshaping the startup and small business landscape. This encourages innovation and drives economic growth, leading to job creation in various sectors. AI can revolutionize business and create new jobs, which still represent a very important source of income for people in the future.

In many parts of the world, access to essential services such as health care, legal advice, and financial planning is limited, especially in underserved communities. Fortunately, AI has the potential to bridge this gap by providing virtual assistance and expert advice. Indeed, AI tools will contribute billions of dollars to the global economy by 2030.

Blooming also depends on a variety of other factors that AI can replace or replicate. Some of the most important literature in the field of social movements has shown the importance of family structure and early parental involvement. The work of Nobel laureate James Heckman, along with various authors, suggests that parental involvement and early childhood education are essential to improving mobility and reducing inequality. Differences in social and economic outcomes during adolescence and later in life can be traced back to childhood.

Two-parent families lead to more parental involvement, such as reading to children and playing with them. Mellisa Kearney calls it “the privilege of two parents.” Lenore Skenazy also points to the importance of free play in developing skills at a young age. AI can help parents and children, but it cannot replicate love.

Besides AI, policy makers should also identify other opportunities to improve economic prosperity, especially in terms of entrepreneurship. One important, bipartisan issue is occupational licensing, which places barriers on certain jobs. If those barriers are removed, it doesn’t matter if different people learn new skills through AI, when they can’t act on those new skills. Onerous occupational licenses have been shown to be detrimental to social mobility, increasing income inequality.

Another important issue in social mobility is social capital, community, and communication. AI can help address it by making people more productive at work and helping them find free time to give back to their communities or spend with their families. But, at the end of the day, community building is a human activity and community in nature.

Human psychology is still important. If people don’t feel like they have the agency to overcome obstacles in their path, no amount of AI will push them up the income ladder. The same goes for the importance of meaning and purpose in their lives. If these don’t exist, no amount of AI tools will create them.

AI will be a powerful catalyst for social movements in the 21st century—but let’s not overestimate its potential. AI is called “artificial” for a reason. There are many other fundamental pillars that must flourish, and we ignore those at our peril.