FIRST ON FOX: A new report is pushing back on artificial intelligence “doomsday” fears, arguing the technology could unleash one of the biggest productivity booms in American history — unless Washington slows it down with premature regulation.
The Unleash Prosperity report, titled “Boomsday Not Doomsday,” argues AI is more than another software tool, saying it could make expertise cheaper, expand access to services and raise living standards.
“I would say that, because of AI, we are headed toward the single greatest productivity revolution in American history,” Stephen Moore, co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, told FOX Business. “There’s almost no question about it.”
Critics, however, warn that AI also carries serious risks, including job losses, cyberattacks, disinformation and misuse by bad actors. Some experts worry companies and countries may rush to develop AI too quickly, putting speed ahead of safety.
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The Unleash Prosperity report says that AI could help doctors spend more time with patients, allow teachers to personalize lessons, help builders cut delays, improve manufacturing quality and give small businesses access to more tools.
“AI makes routine cognitive work cheaper,” the report states. “… These incremental improvements add up to enormous benefits when doctors, teachers, contractors, and other professionals spend more of their day on real work and less on paperwork and bureaucracy.”
Moore said AI could also play a major role in addressing affordability, including housing costs.
“The cost of building a home will be cut in half due to AI,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of talk about affordability and how nobody can afford to buy a house. … If you cut the cost of building a house in half, all of a sudden it’s a lot more affordable.”
The report additionally pushes back on fears that AI will wipe out millions of jobs, saying similar concerns have followed previous breakthroughs, including tractors and computers.
“Every major invention of the last 100 years has made the American economy more productive and led to more jobs, not less,” Moore said.
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The report points to agriculture as one example.
In 1900, nearly 40% of the U.S. workforce worked in agriculture, compared with less than 2% today, while America produces far more food. Moore said AI could similarly move workers into new, higher-value roles rather than eliminate work altogether.
Moore said the fear around AI often comes from focusing on the potential risks rather than the benefits.
“I think people are afraid,” he said. “There’s a kind of fear that this is going to be like ‘The Terminator’ in the future, and people are looking at the potential risks, not the incredible advances in human welfare from technology.”
AI adoption is already moving faster than earlier technological revolutions. More than half of U.S. adults have used generative AI within three years of its mass-market release, outpacing the early adoption of personal computers and the internet, as noted in the report.
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“This is as big as the invention of the wheel. It’s as big as the invention of electricity. It’s bigger than the internet,” Moore said. “It’s going to make life on Earth better … but we need to make sure America leads.”
Moore added that the U.S. cannot afford to slow down while China races ahead in AI development and adoption.
“The race is on. Let’s win the race,” Moore said.
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