> Wasn't the whole point of making the technology to free up time to let people do things they love doing?
Who keeps repeating this? No, there was never a "point" to making technology, technology is invented and it's up to users to find a use case for it. Same thing with nuclear energy versus atomic bombs.
Well yes if you’re taking an existentialist perspective, life has no meaning so we create our own. The invention or discovery has no meaning in itself other than what humans ascribe to it. But I’d still wager that the majority of inventors are inventing with the aim of adding net value to humanity. Even weapons are made with the aim of winning a war so there can be peace at the end of it. It could be argued that the atom bomb has brought more peace and leisure time than any other invention on the planet. It could also destroy the planet at any moment if things got out of hand.
AI is the non-physical equivalent of the atom bomb. It could bring all kinds of benefits if used correctly. But if it ends up decimating the livelihoods of half the planet it could end up destroying everything.
Who keeps repeating this? No, there was never a "point" to making technology, technology is invented and it's up to users to find a use case for it. Same thing with nuclear energy versus atomic bombs.