Princeton’s ‘AI Snake Oil’ author says the real fear isn’t thinking machines—it’s that AI exposes who already knows how to think

Arvind Narayanan argues that public anxiety regarding AI is not about thinking machines themselves but rather a collection of fears concerning job loss, distrust of powerful tech companies, and social issues. He cautions against adopting machine-learning systems for high-stakes predictions in fields like hospitals or criminal justice. However, he views generative AI as potentially useful for knowledge workers but warned that the workplace risk may involve being relegated to “janitorial work.”