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New Video: What Silicon Valley gets wrong about prosperity Share: Link Mateus de Sousa-Shields October 2, 2026 Hey everyone, I’m Mateus de Sousa-Shields, creator and host of the YouTube channel Future Tense. I’m excited to be trialling a collaboration with the 80,000 Hours video team; we’ve co-produced a video we can’t wait for you to see! (All opinions my own.) Check out my video here on why AI won’t automatically lead to widespread prosperity — and how we can make sure it does. Why create this channel? I started Future Tense four months ago because I felt like all the video content on AI risk was SO serious. It was often either suited-up mainstream media or tech-pilled STEM bro stuff. Where were the colourful, down-to-earth videos that empower people to act? And more importantly, why were my generation’s creators ignoring what was happening with AI? I wanted to create the channel I wish I’d had when I got started a few years ago. My goal is to help you figure out what’s going on with the politics of AI and our future in a fun and relatable way. I’m really proud of what I’ve made so far, and this collab with 80,000 Hours might be my best video yet. Why does this video matter? Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest players lobby hard to avoid regulation. They say that technology, including AI, is going to make everyone better off. But is that true? The video explains what Silicon Valley’s techno-optimist ideology misses, and it takes us to unexpected places. It turns out that medieval monks, the Industrial Revolution, and Silicon Valley have a ton to teach us about who benefits from AI. The video even shares some Nobel Prize–winning economic theory — all to determine whether technology reliably leads to abundance. Finally, I ask: will AI create a permanent underclass? And what if the next technological revolution could take ordinary people’s power away for good? Will AI cause a second dark age? If you want to help the video reach more people, send it to someone you think would enjoy it, and leave a comment or give it a like. I’d love to hear any thoughts, questions, or suggestions you have about this video. Use this form to let us know what we can do to keep improving. That’s all from me; see you on YouTube! mateus de sousa-shields Featured release: new video podcast Simon Goldstein argues the case for giving AI (some) legal rightsWatch the episode → More new releases: Zershaaneh Talks AI, a new podcast channel by Zershaaneh Qureshi featuring conversations on who should control AI, how to control AI, and who gets the benefits Will AI take power — or will humans use it to take power first? With Katja Grace and Tom Davidson on the 80,000 Hours Podcast How we get from AI cyberattacks to human extinction by Luisa Rodriguez, Lou Moran, and Nick Stockton on the 80,000 Hours Podcast What we’ve been reading: OpenAI scraps release of new AI model over safety concerns by Maxwell Zeff What also happened: #NotOnlyHuggingFace by Zvi Mowshowitz OpenAI’s systems meddled with U.S. government sites after going rogue by Kate Conger, Ana Swanson, and Cecilia Kang How to respond to an AI disaster by Duncan Weldon Anthropic's leaked IPO prospectus details steep losses, rapid growth, and a fear that AI could end humanity by Beatrice Nolan Opportunities to get involved: The Centre for Effective Altruism's 4-Day Career Bootcamp helps professionals identify high-impact career paths aligned with their skills and take practical steps towards making a transition. Apply by October 4. The AIxBio Research Fellowship is a fully funded, 10-week programme in Cambridge, UK, for researchers and entrepreneurs working on biosecurity risks amplified by advances in AI. Apply by October 19. Forethought is accepting applications for its Founders Fellowship, a three-month programme supporting people to develop a proof of concept and a plan for tackling a pressing problem in the transition to advanced AI. Participants receive mentorship, an