AI and the Future: A New Epoch of Innovation and Optimism

Inspired by insights from the All-In Podcast with Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, Chris Wright, and Doug Burgum

Over the past 200 years, history has repeatedly shown that every seismic shift in innovation—while initially feared—has ultimately led to higher productivity, better living standards, and an expanded workforce. 

From the industrial revolution to the digital age, new technologies have displaced some jobs but created many more in return, reshaping society for the better.

Today, we stand at the edge of a new paradigm: Artificial Intelligence

Lessons from the Past

In the recent All-In Podcast episode featuring financial luminaries and political leaders like Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, Chris Wright, and Doug Burgum, a compelling case was made for how AI is following a familiar arc of disruption—and opportunity. They placed AI in the context of:

• The Railway Boom – which shrunk vast continents and created global trade.
• The Airplane Age – opening the skies for commerce and culture.
• The Moon Landing – galvanizing innovation and national pride.
• Reagan’s Deregulatory 1980s – which unleashed capital markets.
• The Internet Explosion of the 1990s – digitizing communication and commerce.
• The Smartphone and Social Media Era of the 2010s – which changed how we interact and transact.

Each innovation came with existential hand-wringing over jobs and security. Each time, humanity adapted—and thrived.

AI: A Force for Growth, Not Fear

As Scott Bessent pointed out, AI will not shrink the workforce—it will grow it. But in new, unpredictable ways.

Yes, some repetitive, manual tasks may be automated. But AI will:

• Unlock new industries and creative roles
• Empower small businesses and solopreneurs
• Democratize expertise and education
• Accelerate scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs

Doug Burgum, with his experience in technology and governance, argued that AI could be the tool that helps governments do more with less—increasing productivity in the public sector, much like what Reagan’s deregulation did for the private sector in the ’80s.

The Challenges That Lie Ahead

However, AI doesn’t operate in a vacuum. As highlighted by the podcast panel:

• Geopolitical tensions, especially around China selling U.S. treasuries, raise questions about global trust in the U.S. financial system.
• High debt levels, interest rates, inflation, and tariffs may slow down adoption if capital becomes too expensive.
• The U.S. might even face a shift away from traditional Treasury Bills—will the next “currency” of trust be data and energy rather than coins and notes?

Cheap Energy: The Fuel for the AI Boom

One key insight from Chris Wright, a veteran in the energy sector, is that AI’s exponential computing power requires exponential energy supply.

This makes cheap, clean, and scalable energy essential for AI to reach its potential. That could mean:

• Major advances in nuclear fusion
• A resurgence in next-gen fossil fuel alternatives
• A breakthrough in battery storage and grid tech

Climate issues remain a parallel concern. Without a solution to sustainable energy, AI’s growth could be bottlenecked by physical and environmental limits

The AI Era: A Defining Chapter for Humanity

If the past 200 years have taught us anything, it’s this: technological disruption is not the end—it’s a beginning. The AI revolution will not just change how we work. It will change what work is, and who gets to do it.

The All-In Podcast team leaves us with a powerful takeaway: The future is not something we inherit—it’s something we build. And AI, like the railway and the internet before it, is our next great track to lay.

🔗 Follow the discussion on the All-In Podcast with Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, Chris Wright, and Doug Burgum to hear more real-time insights into AI, economics, and the evolving world order.