THE BIRTH OF THE ´USELESS CLASS´

In recent years, historian Yuval Noah Harari introduced the idea of a “useless class” -  a growing segment of society that, due to technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, could become unnecessary for the economy and isolated from society. Harari’s vision points to a future where millions could be left jobless, disconnected, and devalued in a world where the elite control the main means of production, including technology and data. 

This post will focus on how AI, automation, and elite control of technology could intensify inequality, reshaping society into a deeply divided hierarchy. 

AI and Automation - A Job Market Shake Up

To grasp the full scope of this shift, consider the rapid development of AI systems that now excel at tasks once requiring human intelligence. From assembly lines to customer service to data analysis, automation is reaching sectors previously assumed safe from technological disruption.

Autonomous vehicles threaten the jobs of millions in the transportation industry, while algorithms capable of data-driven decision-making (using actual facts and numbers to make choices), jeopardize roles in finance, law, and even medicine. The shift to automation is not new, but the scale and speed at which AI is replacing human jobs is unprecedented.

Estimates suggest that over the next two decades, automation could disrupt over 50% of existing jobs globally. With fewer roles requiring human involvement, millions could find themselves replaced, outperformed by machines that don’t need breaks, healthcare, or salaries. Many of these roles, especially in developing economies, are the foundation of economic stability for millions of families. The loss of these jobs threatens a vast “underclass” whose labor is no longer essential to society. The creation of this “useless class” is not a far-off scenario but an impending reality in an increasingly automated world. 

Growing Economic Disparity: The Elite Tech-Owners and the ‘Useless Class’ 

As AI reduces the need for human labor, a few tech giants and billionaires stand to profit immensely. Wealth becomes even more concentrated among those who own and control AI technologies, data, and the infrastructure that drives them. Figures like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg have amassed vast wealth and influence, shaping industries, government policies, and public debate through their control over tech platforms and advanced technologies. In effect, they act as the controllers of both economic and informational power.

This concentration of power creates an alarming disparity. Wealthy elites, already in positions of influence, can use their resources to invest in and control the future of technology, further deepening economic divides. As jobs disappear, opportunities diminish for those outside these tech-controlled industries, resulting in a socioeconomic abyss that could isolate millions, if not billions, from the resources they need to survive in a tech-dominated world. 

In a society shaped by this elite-driven economy, social mobility may be nearly impossible for those without access to capital, education, or networks. Without intervention, this trend threatens to create a new caste system, where the wealthy maintain control over AI and related technologies, while the majority are relegated to an existence of hardships, increasingly dependent on the very elites who control society’s resources. 

The Tech-Utopian Vision and the Risk of Authoritarianism 

Proponents of AI, such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman, often speak of a “tech-utopian” future, where AI fixes all global problems - ending poverty, eradicating diseases, and creating endless prosperity. While this vision is enticing, it is based on a highly idealistic premise that assumes those in control of technology will prioritize societal good over profit or power. Yet, history suggests otherwise. The drive for profit often replaces public welfare, and technology, while promising equality, is frequently wielded as a tool of control. 

In countries like China, AI-driven surveillance is already used to maintain authoritarian rule, monitoring citizens and restraining dissent. With China’s Social Credit System as an example, we see how technology can track and judge citizens' behavior, rewarding conformity and punishing deviation. Such a system, implemented by an elite class, creates a society where those who are less productive or more rebellious can be easily marginalized. In the hands of tech oligarchs, AI could become an unprecedented tool for controlling populations, not to improve society but to secure power. 

The tech-utopian mindset fails to account for the risks of giving unchecked power to a small group of individuals or corporations. If power consolidates further in the hands of the elite, authoritarianism could emerge not as a political system, but as a byproduct of technological evolution, where AI, surveillance, and data ownership allow the wealthy to control societies by enforcing conformity, obedience, and compliance.

Population Control and the Disposable ‘Useless Class’ 

In a society where economic value is determined by productivity, what happens to those who can no longer contribute? Elites may adopt population control strategies, either openly or in more concealed ways, to reduce or manage the 'useless class´. Governments and tech elites may argue for policies that limit benefits, reduce access to healthcare, and promote “sustainable” population levels among those they think to be unproductive. Such strategies would reduce societal burdens on the state and the elite, preserving resources for the productive and loyal. 

These measures, while extreme, are not without precedent. History shows that groups in power have often acted to limit or control populations they view as a threat. AI and automated control only increase the potential to manage populations in new, efficient, and less visible ways. In such a world, individuals are valued not as humans with rights but as economic units, where those deemed “useless” face a grim future - a reality the elite may justify in the name of progress and sustainability.

A Chilling Warning: Could This Happen in the West? 

If you think the idea of a “useless class” and authoritarian control is restricted only to countries like China, or third world countries, think again. In every society, power dynamics tend to consolidate, and when unchecked, those with influence can prioritize their interests over the general welfare. The West is not immune to this trend. Surveillance programs and corporate influence over political decision-making are already prevalent in many democratic societies, and the line between private interests and public welfare becomes increasingly blurred. 

According to the Carnegie´s Surveillance Index, ¨As of 2019, at least 75 out of 176 countries globally were actively using AI technologies for surveillance purposes, including smart city platforms, facial recognition systems, and smart policing.¨

Imagine a neighborhood in any developed country where dissent or criticism against the government or elite-controlled corporations is monitored through subtle data collection. Through internet activity, social media, and purchasing habits, an individual’s beliefs, loyalties, and even voting patterns can be identified and tracked. In such a world, dissent is not necessarily punished openly but marginalized quietly - excluded from job opportunities, access to services, or community influence. This silent suppression, managed by AI systems, could effectively limit freedom without any visible signs of authoritarianism. 

The ultimate aim of elites - whether in the East or West - may not differ: control. 

A tech-driven world in the hands of a powerful few may lead us to a future where social order is maintained not through visible force but through invisible control, where human lives and freedoms are optimized, restricted, and monitored in ways that appear seamless. The emerging philosophy of a “useless class” reflects a broader societal trend: the prioritization of elite interests over human welfare, a future where survival may depend on compliance rather than individual rights.

Population Control: Lessons from the Past 

Throughout history, ruling powers have imposed measures to control populations they deemed problematic or threatening, with some notorious examples showing how those in power have curtailed rights, limited freedoms, and shaped demographics for self-preservation or profit. Here are a few striking examples: 

1. China’s 1 Child Policy: Implemented in 1980, China’s policy restricted most families to having only one child to curb population growth. It led to severe results, including forced abortions and sterilizations, particularly in urban areas. The policy had long lasting social results, like a skewed gender ratio and a fast aging population, which has created economic and social strains. Although the policy was relaxed in 2015, it shows how state control could dictate family life under the guise of resource management.

2. Nazi Germany’s Eugenics Program: In the 1930s and 1940s, Nazi Germany undertook one of the most notorious eugenics programs, intending to "purify" the Aryan race by targeting individuals they considered "undesirable" or a "threat" to their vision of society. The regime implemented forced sterilizations and, eventually, the systematic extermination of millions of Jews, Romani, disabled individuals, and others. The Nazis justified these policies as a way to protect and “strengthen” the German race, showing the extremes to which a government could go in managing what they consider ´unfit´ populations.

3. Apartheid in South Africa: Between 1948 and 1994, South Africa enforced a policy of racial segregation and discrimination under apartheid, aimed at maintaining the supremacy of the white minority population. Apartheid laws restricted the movement, employment, and living areas of Black South Africans and other racial groups, thereby systematically weakening and isolating entire communities. Surveillance, curfews, and passbooks for Black individuals restricted personal freedoms and social mobility.

4. U.S. Surveillance and Suppression of the Civil Rights Movement: In the 1960s, the U.S. government, through FBI programs like COINTELPRO, used surveillance, infiltration, and propaganda to undermine and control civil rights activists and organizations such as the Black Panthers and Martin Luther King Jr. Government agencies surveilled private communications and manipulated public perception to weaken the movement’s influence. This historical example reflects how technology, even before modern AI, was weaponized to control groups deemed disruptive.

5. Soviet Union’s KGB and Surveillance State: The Soviet Union’s secret police (KGB) kept close tabs on dissidents, artists, intellectuals, and others they considered a threat to the state’s authority. Through surveillance, arrests, and propaganda, the KGB monitored and suppressed anti-government sentiment, ensuring the Communist Party maintained strict control. Citizens were incentivized to report on their neighbors, creating an environment of fear and mistrust that limited dissent.

Today’s advancements in AI and surveillance technologies increase the potential for similar control measures. In the digital age, tracking movements, online behavior, and social networks is far more streamlined, enabling governments and corporations to manage populations subtly yet comprehensively. Systems like China’s Social Credit System and data-driven profiling practices in various countries can limit individuals’ access to resources or privileges based on behavior deemed non-compliant - showing how such controls are now not just possible but increasingly prevalent.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas