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AI and You: Will Artificial Intelligence Deliver Shared Prosperity?

Theo Raines in Tech & Innovation December 2025 • 3 min read.

"Unlocking AI's potential for everyone requires navigating tech history and future economic trends. Can we ensure AI benefits all of society?"

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving, marking a pivotal moment in human history. It's no longer just about chatbots; AI is increasingly integrated into our daily lives, powering tools and applications that enhance productivity and creativity. The potential is immense, promising to boost economic growth and improve wellbeing globally.

However, realizing AI's full potential isn't as simple as flipping a switch. It requires careful planning, strategic investment, and a collective effort to address its complexities and risks. Like other technological advancements, AI's journey from the lab to real-world applications is fraught with obstacles.

This article will explore the big questions: Can AI truly transform the global economy for the better? What challenges must we overcome to ensure AI expands prosperity and improves lives everywhere? We’ll dive into the history of technology and innovation, examining AI’s potential impact and the steps needed to make its benefits accessible to all.

Why AI's Economic Potential Is Immense

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Throughout history, only a few technologies have been deemed truly transformative. Think of the steam engine, electricity, and the personal computer. Economists call these 'general-purpose technologies' because they have broad applicability and drive innovation across diverse sectors. AI is showing signs it could join this exclusive club.

What makes a technology a potential game-changer? Here are three key ingredients:

Broad Applicability: Can it be used in countless ways across different industries?
Innovation Spillovers: Does it spark new ideas and complementary innovations?
Technological Improvement: Can it be continually improved and refined over time?

AI seems to check all these boxes. It can be used to improve everything from smartphone features to medical diagnoses. Machine learning, a core element of modern AI, is already pervasive. AI has the potential for wider application and use across business functions, in both routine tasks and knowledge work.

AI: A Collective Opportunity

AI holds immense promise for transforming our economy and driving shared prosperity. It has the potential to improve labor productivity, expand economic opportunity, accelerate scientific breakthroughs, and address pressing societal challenges. To fully realize these benefits, we must tackle challenges related to infrastructure, adoption, workforce readiness, and equitable access. By learning from the past and embracing a collective, affirmative policy agenda, we can ensure AI benefits all of society, not just a select few.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2401.09718,

Title: Ai And The Opportunity For Shared Prosperity: Lessons From The History Of Technology And The Economy

Subject: econ.gn q-fin.ec

Authors: Guy Ben-Ishai, Jeff Dean, James Manyika, Ruth Porat, Hal Varian, Kent Walker

Published: 17-01-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What makes a technology like Artificial Intelligence a 'general-purpose technology' and why is that significant?

A 'general-purpose technology', like Artificial Intelligence, is characterized by broad applicability across various industries, sparking innovation spillovers and possessing the capacity for continuous improvement and refinement over time. This is significant because such technologies have the potential to drive economic growth and transform society on a large scale, as seen with the steam engine, electricity, and the personal computer.

Beyond chatbots, how is Artificial Intelligence currently impacting our daily lives and what potential does it hold for the future?

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly integrated into daily life, powering tools and applications that enhance productivity and creativity. Its potential extends to boosting economic growth, improving labor productivity, expanding economic opportunity, accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and addressing pressing societal challenges. However, realizing this potential requires careful planning, strategic investment, and a collective effort to address challenges related to infrastructure, adoption, workforce readiness, and equitable access.

What are some of the obstacles that need to be addressed to ensure Artificial Intelligence benefits everyone, not just a select few?

To ensure Artificial Intelligence benefits all of society, we must tackle challenges related to infrastructure, adoption, workforce readiness, and equitable access. Overcoming these obstacles requires a collective, affirmative policy agenda and learning from the past to avoid concentrating benefits in the hands of a few.

In what specific ways can Artificial Intelligence contribute to economic improvement and societal well-being?

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to improve labor productivity, expand economic opportunity, accelerate scientific breakthroughs, and address pressing societal challenges. Machine learning, a core element of modern AI, is already pervasive and has the potential for wider application and use across business functions, in both routine tasks and knowledge work. Realizing this potential requires strategic investment and a collective effort.

What are the key characteristics that indicate a technology has the potential to be a game-changer, like Artificial Intelligence seems to be?

A technology's potential to be a game-changer is indicated by three key ingredients: broad applicability (use in countless ways across different industries), innovation spillovers (sparking new ideas and complementary innovations), and technological improvement (continual refinement over time). Artificial Intelligence exhibits all these characteristics, suggesting its transformative potential. The widespread adoption of Machine learning will contribute to this trend.