Western AI pessimism reflects economic anxiety, not technology fear
Source: Financial Times (paywall)
Gillian Tett identifies a structural divide: Western skepticism of AI stems less from concern about the technology itself than from anxiety about labor displacement in economies already struggling with inequality and weak social safety nets, whereas Asia and emerging markets view AI as an opportunity to leapfrog development stages. The "AI optimism gap" reflects confidence in institutional capacity to distribute gains—meaning AI adoption patterns will increasingly split along lines of social policy, not technical capability. Countries most capable of building AI may be least equipped to manage its consequences.