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Reid HoffmanLinkedIn co-founder and prominent technology investor laid out an confident vision for artificial intelligence on Tuesday, introducing his concept of “great agency”, which presents artificial intelligence as a tool to empower humans, not replace them.
Speaking of TED AI conference a fireside chat with CNBC Julia Boorstin in San Francisco, Hoffman reviewed themes from his own upcoming super agency bookpositioning artificial intelligence as the next step in enhancing human capabilities.
“If you look back at technology, it actually greatly increases human agency,” Hoffman said. “Each of these major technological leaps gives us superpowers.” He compared historical innovations such as horses and cars to today’s artificial intelligence systems, which he described as “cognitive superpowers.”
AI election risks and regulations: Silicon Valley leader deflects concerns
The moment of conveying Hoffman’s message seems strategic and imminent growing anxiety on the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and democracy. While acknowledging concerns about job displacement and election disinformation, Hoffman maintained that the transition challenges were manageable.
On election integrity, Hoffman downplayed the immediate risk of AI-generated deepfakes in the 2024 race, although he acknowledged future concerns. “There is undoubtedly some use of artificial intelligence in crime and disinformation… but it is not yet having a significant impact,” he said, suggesting that technical solutions such as “encryption timestamps” could aid authenticate content.
Hoffman also defended California Gov. Gavin Newsom recent veto broad AI regulation, praising instead the White House’s approach of asking tech companies for voluntary commitments before implementing specific regulations. “Fundamentally, vague, uncertain penalties and uncertain assessments are a very good way to deter future development of emerging technologies,” he argued.
AI opportunities for enterprises: Where startups can continue to compete with huge tech
For enterprise leaders watching the development of artificial intelligence, Hoffman emphasized that despite the dominance of enormous technology companies in developing the basic models, there are still opportunities for startups building applications on top of them. “There is a huge amount of artificial intelligence today,” he said, pointing to areas such as sales, marketing and computer security as fertile ground for innovation.
Notably, Hoffman envisioned AI democratizing access to expertise, describing a future in which anyone with a phone would be able to access “the equivalent of a general practitioner anywhere in the world.” This vision is consistent with growing interest of enterprises in AI assistants and automated customer service solutions.
Political division in Silicon Valley: Tech leaders divided over AI policy and regulation
The discussion revealed tensions in Silicon Valley’s political landscape, and Hoffman addressed what Boorstin described as shift to the right among technology leaders. The conversation took a pointed turn when Hoffman appeared to criticize fellow tech leader Elon Musk’s support for Trump without directly naming him.
Discussing tech leaders’ rightward turn, Hoffman questioned the motives of “some of the people who are campaigning and spreading some pretty crazy conspiracy theories… not just on x.com but elsewhere.”
He suggested that such support may be driven by “vested interests” such as “obtaining government contracts” rather than genuine political beliefs. A veiled reference to Musk doing this he promised millions to the Trump campaign and frequent posts pro-Trump content on his X platform highlights growing divisions among Silicon Valley elites over the upcoming election.
Hoffman, a prominent Democratic supporter and supporter of Vice President Kamala Harrishe attributed part of the broader right-wing movement to “single-issue voters around cryptocurrency” and business interests seeking favorable regulation. He emphasized that “a stable business environment in which to invest is much more important” than pursuing narrow interests such as corporate tax cuts.
The future of work and the next chapter of AI
Hoffman’s vision suggests a fundamental shift in thinking about the adoption of artificial intelligence. While much of Silicon Valley sees artificial intelligence as a replacement for human work, its “great agency” concept positions it as an enhancer of human potential.
“People who don’t use AI will be replaced by people who use AI,” Hoffman predicted, arguing that the real divide will not be between humans and machines, but between those who harness the capabilities of AI and those who they don’t do that.
The stakes of this transformation go far beyond Silicon Valley. As AI’s capabilities expand, Hoffman’s confident vision will be tested against growing concerns about job relocation and technological control. But its core message is clear: the future belongs not to those who resist AI, but to those who learn to apply it as a tool for human empowerment – even if that means fundamentally rethinking what it means to be human in a world that supports artificial intelligence.