Elite overproduction, inequality, and technological acceleration

As artificial intelligence advances toward performing many of the tasks traditionally carried out by white-collar professionals, the question of how society should respond becomes increasingly urgent. Mathematician and historian Peter Turchin argues that much of the contemporary social and political unrest in the United States stems from what he terms elite overproduction: the creation of far more credentialed individuals than there are elite positions available.

Some commentators in Silicon Valley suggest that one solution may be to disrupt or even dismantle traditional elite pathways such as university education, while others rejoice in the potential rise of a new form of “technofeudalism.” If these outcomes are neither desirable nor inevitable, what alternative models should we consider?

Join us for a forward-looking discussion as we explore possible futures—and bring your best ideas (and your preferred AI tools) as we examine what a “brave new world” might entail.