Who Will Benefit From the AI Revolution?

—Sergey Balakhnichev—Getty Images The debate about how to control AI and limit its potential for damage is healthy and necessary.

It is also unavoidable and urgent .

But this is not the only vital debate.

There are also vital questions about how the upsides of AI are shared fairly.

Business as usual has left the world's poorest people behind, so far.

And for those caught up in conflict—in places like Sudan , Ukraine , Gaza , and Afghanistan —AI can help meet urgent needs.

It is clear to me that the world has more resources to do good than at any time in human history, but too often, we don't distribute them where they are most needed.

Now, AI stands to create even more resources in the form of free time, insights, and funds.

And they need to be spent in the right places.

The AI revolution is going to mint a new generation of billionaires and millionaires—and with them, a new generation of philanthropists; a term stemming from the Ancient Greek philanthropia, meaning “love of humanity”.

It’s a reminder that the act of giving begins with some of the most fundamentally human impulses: care, love, empathy, and selflessness.

Maybe this explains why Effective Altruism —the idea that generosity should be subjected to evidence and calculation—seemed counterintuitive.

But I never understood why.

After all, who wants ineffective altruism? We should all be asking where our money can do the most good.