Snapshot · The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
If governments wait until mass unemployment sets in before regulating AI, it will already be too late — the companies' strategy is to achieve superintelligence first, then automate jobs.
Where this was said
At 59:03 · chapter starts 54:25
This chapter addresses the question most directly relevant to the general listener: what's going to happen to jobs, and when? Kokotajlo's answer is counterintuitive. We have not seen mass unemployment yet — and that's exactly the problem. In science fiction and past technological waves, automation was gradual, industry by industry. But the real-world strategy of the AI companies is different: they are deliberately automating themselves first. The goal is to close the entire AI research loop — to have AIs doing all the research that produces better AIs, so that progress accelerates recursively. Only after they achieve that will they turn the technology outward into the broader economy. This means the familiar warning signs that might prompt public demand for regulation — widespread unemployment in visible industries — won't appear until it's already too late. The mass unemployment in AI 2027 doesn't occur until 2028–2029, after superintelligence has already been achieved. Kokotajlo is clear that technically all jobs could be replaced once true superintelligence exists — what jobs remain is then a political question, not a technical one.
In the AI 2027 scenario, widespread job loss doesn't occur until 2028–2029, after superintelligence has already been achieved — not as a precursor.
Ad-based monetization works well for game apps where users spend extended time in-session, as seen with Grid and Wordle.
Tool-focused apps like PuffCount are poor candidates for ad monetization because users don't stay in-session long enough.
A hard paywall is a screen that blocks all app features unless the user pays or starts a free trial — it cannot be dismissed.
Mobile apps are primarily monetized through either ads (best for games) or in-app purchases/subscriptions (best for tools).
According to the episode, YouTube outperforms every other social platform for building trust and driving SaaS conversions.
Vasco stated that the majority of his app's user base came directly from his YouTube channel.
SEO Bot features a 'Boost My Domain Rating' button that routes users directly to Listing Bot, an example of in-product cross-selling.
The founder's entire product portfolio is AI-related, making it easier to package products attractively for directories.
The founder attached their SaaS demo to the trending debate about whether AI coding is actually good enough to build a full SaaS product.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.