The article draws parallels between AI panic and cognitive mercantilism, a historical economic ideology that emerged in 17th-century England. In this ideology, intelligence is seen as a scarce resource, and its control is key to national and corporate success. The parallels include: 1) intelligence as a fixed resource, 2) the need to control its production and distribution, 3) the assumption that ordinary people cannot be trusted with much freedom, and 4) the idea that most people are not good for much intellectually. AI summary
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