The first promise of electricity was practical, but its deeper impact came from the new possibilities it opened as more people could use it. With time, a lot of new possibilities emerged, with machines and computers greatly accelerating progress in medicine, engineering, and many other fields. By the end of the 20th century the average lifespan had increased by about 23 years and the average inflation-adjusted income by about 50% or so. These gains were driven in no small part due to the advances in healthcare, sanitation, and living standards, many of which were enabled or accelerated by widespread electrification and related technological progress.

This is happening again with AI. AI will soon be capable of extraordinary things. But the point is not the technology by itself. The point is what people can do with it. It can help someone navigate a medical bill, learn a new skill, start a small business, care for an aging parent, understand a legal or financial decision, turn an idea into something real, or make a scientific discovery.

While the wonder of light at night probably wore off pretty fast, what people decided to do with it did not. And because technology has been a reliable way to deliver prosperity over time, we think AI should be available to everyone to use as much as they need, where and how they need it.

That future will not happen automatically. Transformative technologies can concentrate power, or they can broaden it. They can make life easier for a few, or they can expand opportunity for many. Our approach is rooted in the belief that AI should work for people: helping them pursue their own goals, increasing their capabilities, and distributing the benefits of this technology as widely as possible.

Our first commitment is to build AI in service of humanity. That means we want to empower people broadly, not see power concentrated among a few companies, governments, or individuals. We believe the safer future is one where power is broadly distributed, so more of the world can participate in building a resilience ecosystem.*