New essay 'The Commanding Heights' argues AI gains will accrue to scarce, controllable positions
xiaosun86 · x · 2026-11-01
AI researcher Grant Hawkins shares his vacation reading, including The Commanding Heights by Will Manidis & Joe Roberts (Oct 29, 2026). The essay argues that holders of scarce, controllable economic positions will durably capture the gains from increasingly capable and diffused intelligence. With frontier models commoditizing within months, the most lasting economic rents accrue to 'positions intelligence must pass through to reach its utility' — the Commanding Heights. Acknowledgments span figures like Mikhail Krasilin, Jeff Huber and Chamath Palihapitiya.
Related event: "Commanding Heights" Paper Sparks Debate Over Who Captures AI Gains(4 posts)→
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