Contrary to common fears, AI is projected to be a net job creator. Citing a World Economic Forum study, Naveen Chaddha highlights that while 92 million jobs will be displaced by automation, 170 million new roles will emerge, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs by 2030.

Elon Musk theorizes that if 'applied intelligence' is a direct proxy for economic growth, the exponential advancement of AI could lead to unprecedented double-digit GDP growth within 18 months and potentially triple-digit growth in five years. This frames AI not just as a tool, but as the primary driver of a new economic golden era.

Despite AI's narrative as a labor-replacement technology, NVIDIA's booming chip sales are occurring alongside strong job growth. This suggests that, for now, AI is acting as a productivity tool that is creating economic expansion and new roles faster than it is causing net job destruction.

The democratization of technology via AI shifts the entrepreneurial goalpost. Instead of focusing on creating a handful of billion-dollar "unicorns," the more impactful ambition is to empower millions of people to each build a million-dollar "donkey corn" business, truly broadening economic opportunity.

The focus on AI automating existing human labor misses the larger opportunity. The most significant value will come from creating entirely new types of companies that are fully autonomous and operate in ways we can't currently conceive, moving beyond simple replacement of today's jobs.

Despite significant geopolitical risks, an equally plausible optimistic scenario exists. Transformative general platform technologies like AGI, quantum computing, and synthetic biology are nearing commercial scale, potentially creating a productivity boom that could offset debt headwinds and turbocharge the economy.

The narrative of AI destroying jobs misses a key point: AI allows companies to 'hire software for a dollar' for tasks that were never economical to assign to humans. This will unlock new services and expand the economy, creating demand in areas that previously didn't exist.

The true economic revolution from AI won't come from legacy companies using it as an "add-on." Instead, it will emerge over the next 20 years from new startups whose entire organizational structure and business model are built from the ground up around AI.

AI is dramatically increasing the capabilities of a single individual, lowering the barrier to entrepreneurship. This technological leverage will enable a massive new wave of solo founders who can build and scale businesses without the need for large teams or significant venture funding.