Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit. 10+ years in marketing and data.

#myjourney #myfamily #health #cognition #philosophy #digital #artificialintelligence #darkness #security #finance #politics #banskabystrica #carpathians

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Richard Golian

Hi, I am Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories — and what I am working on. I hope this article brings you some value.

Uncertain Future, Unanswered Questions

AI, automation, inequality, uncertain future

By Richard Golian

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It is February 25, 2025. The clock shows 3:47 a.m. Central European Time. I am lying in the dark, in a house near the Low Tatras in Slovakia. It is quiet. Only the ticking clock reminds me that time keeps moving.

The Future World: Unprecedented Inequalities, Chaos, Uncertainty—and Beyond, I See Nothing

The more I think about the future, the more I realise how many essential questions remain unanswered. Maybe I am wrong, but it feels like our imagination simply is not enough to grasp what lies ahead in five or ten years. A world governed by artificial intelligence, automation, robotics... and probably something else we cannot even imagine today. Technological and societal developments will likely take us to a place for which we currently have no words.

Some things, however, seem inevitable. For example, we will likely face unprecedented inequalities—access to power, wealth, information, and everything else that shapes how we live. I see a small group of those who will own and control technology, and a vast majority who will merely consume content, products, and illusions of a meaningful life.

And what will daily life look like? I imagine days reduced to consuming content recommended by AI. Algorithms will decide what should interest us, what we should watch, what we should believe. A deep divide will emerge between those who understand how the system works and those who merely follow its instructions—or have wildly different assumptions about it.

The big question remains: What will childhood and education look like? We can still imagine what the world might look like in a year or two. But what comes after that? How will we explain how the world works to our children when we are not even sure ourselves?

And what about our safety and freedom? What if physical control—or even elimination—carried out by AI-powered robots stops being just a sci-fi topic? I do not want to think about that. But I know that ignoring this question will not protect us from danger or oppression.

No matter how I look at the future, I see very few answers and far too many questions and problems. Perhaps it is time to start asking the right questions—while we still have the chance to search for the answers and solutions.

The Decline of the Middle Class and the Collapse of the Social Contract

I am afraid that the inequalities driven by the development of artificial intelligence will—unless we manage to reverse the trend—lead to the disappearance of the middle class. And yet it is the purchasing power of the middle class that fuels our capitalist economy. It is the middle class that enables growth, and it is their education and civic engagement that help protect our democracy.

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Summary

A small elite controls technology. The majority consumes algorithmically curated content. AI-driven inequality threatens the middle class — whose purchasing power fuels capitalism and supports democracy. Education, safeguards against AI-powered control, the right questions while answers are still discoverable. Beyond that, I see nothing.
Richard Golian

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.

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Common questions on this article's topic

How will artificial intelligence increase global inequality?
AI concentrates power and wealth among those who own and control the technology, while displacing middle-income workers whose roles can be automated. The IMF has estimated that 60% of jobs in advanced economies will be affected by AI, with the middle class facing the greatest risks. Current data shows the top 1% controls approximately 37% of global wealth, and this concentration is accelerating as AI-driven productivity gains flow disproportionately to capital owners.
What happens to the middle class as AI takes over jobs?
The article warns that the middle class — whose purchasing power fuels the capitalist economy and whose civic engagement supports democracy — may effectively disappear. An entire generation of accountants, lawyers, marketing professionals, and IT specialists could be displaced not because they failed, but because they were replaced. The World Economic Forum has projected that 41% of employers intend to reduce their workforce by 2030 due to AI.
Could the decline of the middle class threaten democracy?
Research supports this concern. Studies show that nations with strong middle classes have higher political stability and lower extremism. When the middle class shrinks, government accountability weakens, corruption increases, and populist movements gain ground. The OECD has documented this dynamic as one of the most significant socio-political risks of the coming decade.
What is the social contract and how could AI break it?
The social contract is the implicit agreement between citizens and society — work hard, contribute, and the system provides stability, opportunity, and protection. AI threatens this contract by making many forms of productive work unnecessary. If people lose their economic role without gaining a new one, the fundamental basis for social cohesion breaks down. The article argues that if we fail to write a new social contract in time, it raises fundamental questions about the nature of our political system.
What will daily life look like in an AI-dominated world?
The article imagines days reduced to consuming content recommended by algorithms, with AI deciding what should interest us, what we should watch, and what we should believe. A deep divide would emerge between those who understand how the system works and those who merely follow its instructions. The central question becomes: how do we explain the world to our children when we are not sure we understand it ourselves?
How can society prepare for AI-driven inequality?
The article argues that the most important step is asking the right questions while we still have the chance to search for answers. This includes rethinking education, building safeguards against AI-powered social control, and addressing wealth concentration before the gap becomes irreversible. The silence around these issues — whether from a lack of imagination or comforting denial — is itself identified as one of the greatest risks.