棋局|Jul 18, 2026 18:09
Four technological revolutions have inevitably widened the gap between rich and poor
1. The First Industrial Revolution (Steam Engine): Handcraft artisans were replaced by machines, workers fell into poverty, while factory owners accumulated massive wealth.
2. The Second Industrial Revolution (Electricity): Assembly lines brought a brief middle-class boom, but later, capital monopolies intensified inequality.
3. The Third Industrial Revolution (Internet): Programmers and internet giants got rich, while traditional manufacturing blue-collar workers faced ongoing unemployment.
4. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (AI): Currently unfolding, leading to dual polarization:
On the capital side: The marginal cost of AI large models is approaching zero, with top enterprises and holders of technical patents monopolizing the majority of profits.
On the labor side: Entry-level white-collar jobs (copywriting, basic accounting, basic programming, translation) and standardized blue-collar jobs are the first to be replaced. Only top-tier technical talent and non-standardized service roles (healthcare, offline manual services) can maintain their income. The middle-income group continues to shrink, and wealth concentrates at the top.
IMF and multiple papers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences confirm: AI inherently exhibits "capital bias" and "skill bias," making it difficult to narrow income gaps in the short term. Relying solely on technology cannot solve the problem of unequal distribution.
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