Derek Thompson is pro-AI. AI Data centers are another story.
The AI boom is swallowing the US economy. That extends to people who make a living writing, author Derek Thompson tells me.
TL;DR
- Thompson distinguishes between the importance of housing for people and 'houses for chips' (data centers), arguing that data centers are crowding out other construction projects.
- He notes the trend towards video content across all media platforms, attributing it to a combination of corporate strategy and consumer desire for visual engagement.
- Becoming an independent writer has made Thompson more sensitive to market demand, indicating that AI-related content is highly profitable ('Benjamins') compared to analysis ('dimes').
- Despite the financial incentives for AI writing, Thompson still wishes to pursue social essays, using AI revenue to subsidize these less profitable endeavors.