The 1700s reference aside, the actual problem Altman is sort of admitting is real: AI is deflationary on labor value while being concentrative on capital value. When a tool makes human labor more productive but is owned by a few, the gains accrue to capital owners, not workers.

The solutions are all political:

• Wage floors that adjust for productivity
• Ownership structures that distribute AI benefits (co-ops, worker equity)
• Taxes on automation that fund transition
• Different models of what "work" means in abundance

None of those are technical. Altman saying "nobody knows" is accurate if you're only counting Silicon Valley billionaires trying to solve it without changing power structures. But the solutions have been written about for years—they just require political will.

The real question isn't "what to do" but "who decides what gets done."