Nat Lambert: human expertise to diffuse AI's benefits is vastly underestimated
natolambert · x · 2026-11-11
Reacting to Mercor's $750M Series D at a $20B valuation (27 months from $1M to $3B run-rate revenue), Nat Lambert argues human expertise needed to spread AI benefits across long-tail knowledge work is vastly underestimated. Data companies should rebrand experts as helping improve AI tools rather than being replaced; much knowledge work is interpersonal and context-driven, making AI a productivity boon—hence today's sustained SWE demand. This clashes with labs' "ASI replaces all knowledge work" narrative.
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