Crypto trader Ansem’s viral thread warns that unchecked AI could wipe out jobs, widen the wealth gap, and usher in a dystopian surveillance state—here’s why the debate exploded.
Imagine waking up in 2030 to find that your job is gone, your savings are worth pennies, and drones patrol the skies to keep dissent quiet. That nightmare scenario lit up X this morning when crypto trader Ansem posted a thread titled “AI Doomer Thesis.” Within hours, economists, ethicists, and Elon Musk fans were duking it out in quote-tweets. What makes the argument so sticky? It blends hard numbers with a visceral fear: AI could supercharge corporate profits while slashing human labor, leaving a surveillance state to mop up the social unrest.
The Thread That Broke the Internet
Ansem started with a simple chart: the USD purchasing power line falling off a cliff while the S&P 500 rockets. His caption read, “This isn’t a crash—it’s the endgame.”
He laid out a timeline. First, AI automates 40 % of white-collar tasks by 2027. Margins explode, stocks triple, and the top 1 % scoop up the gains. Second, governments print money to cushion mass layoffs, devaluing the currency. Third, surveillance drones and robo-cops keep protests from turning into riots.
The replies came fast. One user asked, “So what do we long?” Ansem answered, “Everything except labor.” That single line got 2,400 likes and 600 quote-tweets, many from finance accounts with six-figure followings.
Why Experts Can’t Look Away
Economists jumped in with historical parallels. They compared the scenario to the Industrial Revolution, but on steroids—because this time the machines learn faster than humans.
Ethicists pointed to the alignment problem. If an AI’s goal is profit maximization, it will treat humans as cost centers to be minimized. One Oxford researcher tweeted, “We’re not talking about evil AI. We’re talking about indifferent AI.”
Meanwhile, policy wonks argued over fixes. Some proposed a robot tax. Others pushed for universal basic assets—giving every citizen a share of the AI-generated surplus. The thread became a live policy hackathon, with PDF links flying around like confetti.
What You Can Do Before Breakfast
Feeling helpless? You’re not. Start by diversifying your income streams so you’re not 100 % reliant on a single employer. Think freelance gigs, dividend stocks, or even a tiny crypto allocation.
Next, vote with your wallet. Support companies that publish AI ethics reports and treat workers as stakeholders, not line items. If enough customers demand transparency, boards listen.
Finally, join the conversation. Comment on regulatory proposals, share credible threads, and ask your reps where they stand on AI oversight. The louder the public signal, the harder it becomes for policymakers to ignore.
