Steven Rattner's six charts argue the slow-growth US economy needs AI
soumitrashukla9 · x · 2026-10-06
Investor Steven Rattner's NYT guest essay 'Six Charts That Show Just How Much We Need A.I.' pushes back on data-center moratoriums, job-loss fears and safety alarm.
Key points:
- Growth comes from only two things — a larger labor force and output per worker; rising living standards require productivity gains, whose key driver is technology
- The US lost 9 million farm jobs over the past century yet gained millions of jobs in new fields thanks to productivity — AI could repeat that transition
- As one of history's great innovations, AI could reinvigorate slow growth and create room to redistribute wealth, curb debt and fund public services
- Rattner concedes the concerns are valid but argues none justify turning away from the technology
Related event: Investor Argues in NYT That Stagnant America Needs AI Most(2 posts)→
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