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Artificial Intelligence Series: A winding odyssey through the future of productivity

Artificial Intelligence Series: A winding odyssey through the future of productivity
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Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

The phrase Artificial Intelligence or AI has emerged as a major topic of discussion in the business and political world this year as it becomes an ever-present socio-economic force. The impact of the rapid advancements in AI and related technologies are already having a profound impact upon society; leaving a canyon of questions to account for.


In response to these rapid changes, the Fulcrum would like to introduce a three-part series to explore the social and economic factors that may transform the future of our political landscape. The rise of the intelligent machine is upon us. And, while it may not quite be The Terminator, it has crucial implications on the future of ethical productivity.

To properly dissect the meaning of this exponential acceleration in technological change, the following questions will be explored: Should automation be welcomed or feared? Are productivity improvements as good as advertised? Is extreme efficiency good? Do the benefits of increased productivity usher in and outweigh the economic dangers of unemployment?

Getting more done with less effort seems to be a a positive thing. But, economics is interconnected to almost every other facet of our lives. You pull one string, the rest of the thread comes along with it. Or, in this case, the automation.

Read Part 1 as it is released on August 17th.


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Jasmine Clark Is Poised To Be the First Black Woman Ph.D. Scientist in Congress

Jasmine Clark first ran for office and flipped a Republican-held state legislative district in 2018.

Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Jasmine Clark Is Poised To Be the First Black Woman Ph.D. Scientist in Congress

LILBURN, GEORGIA — When state Rep. Jasmine Clark launched her campaign for Congress on a mission to enact generational change, she didn’t realize she could also make history.

Now, she’s poised to become the first Black woman Ph.D. scientist to serve in Congress. If she wins, she’ll be representing Georgia’s 13th Congressional District.

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Capitalism Without Competition Is Oligarchy
1 U.S.A dollar banknotes

Capitalism Without Competition Is Oligarchy

For decades, Americans were told that globalization and free markets would deliver broadly shared prosperity. Instead, many saw stagnant wages, hollowed-out communities, and a growing concentration of wealth and power. The backlash was inevitable. But the real failure was not capitalism itself. It was the corruption of competition and the establishment’s generations-long indifference to the working class it left behind. That disregard didn’t just crater trust in institutions; it fueled populist backlash across the political spectrum, with anti-establishment anger now reshaping American politics.

Two truths define the American economic dilemma. First: competitive capitalism remains history’s most powerful engine for wealth creation, driving greater aggregate prosperity over the past two centuries than perhaps any other economic system. But averages are dangerous fictions; a man can easily drown in a lake that is, on average, two feet deep.

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Cathy Alderman: Housing Is Healthcare

Cathy Alderman

Cathy Alderman: Housing Is Healthcare

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is working to address the lack of long-term affordable and supportive housing, which they identify as the only lasting solution to homelessness. Cathy Alderman, the organization’s Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer, emphasizes that the primary challenge is the "high cost not just of housing, but the cost of living" in Colorado, which creates a significant barrier for people trying to access stable housing or find rentals they can afford.

To address these challenges, the Coalition operates under the fundamental belief that "housing is healthcare". "We want to provide access to affordable housing and affordable health care so that people can be successful in the other areas of their life," Alderman said. As both a housing developer and a federally qualified health center, CCH manages approximately 2,000 units across 23 residential properties while providing integrated health services through clinics and street medicine teams.

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My Generation Can Spot the Deepfake. That’s Not Enough.
Smartphone with ai text in jeans pocket
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

My Generation Can Spot the Deepfake. That’s Not Enough.

Thomas Massie, a seven-term Republican congressman from Kentucky, lost his primary on May 19. The race cost $32.6 million, making it the most expensive congressional primary in U.S. history. Among the weapons deployed against him: an AI-generated video showing him checking into a hotel room with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, with their hands clasped. The narrator called it "worse than adultery." A disclaimer at the bottom of the screen, in small text, read: "This satirical ad was created with artificial intelligence."

I watched the ad. It looks ridiculous. The movements are slightly too smooth, the lighting is off, and the scenario is so cartoonish that I genuinely could not tell at first whether it was meant to be taken seriously. But I'm 17, and I've spent the last four years watching AI-generated content get better in real time. I know what the seams look like. Massie, in his post-loss interview on Meet the Press, was blunt about who the ad actually reached: "It was actually very effective on the boomers."

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