JB Pritzker thinks AI could help us live to 100 — or threaten us like nukes

In a Decoder interview with Nilay Patel, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker discusses a generational political realignment in which government should act as a fighter for ordinary people rather than a mere collaborator with business, citing the Bears stadium negotiations and California's Paramount lawsuit as examples. He argues too much power sits in too few hands, warning that AI could cause significant job losses—potentially pushing unemployment from 4 percent toward 7 or 10 percent—while also praising AI's medical potential, including his belief his children will live to 100 or 110. Pritzker describes his four-deputy-governor structure to break down agency silos and his AI Cabinet, which pairs AI experts with agency leaders to weigh privacy, safety, and efficiency. He defends Illinois laws such as the Biometric Information Privacy Act, the AI Safety Measures Act, and the Children's Social Media Safety Act, but stresses that a state-by-state approach is inadequate without federal action from Congress. On data centers, he says opposition conflates data centers with AI and that rising electric bills stem from regional grid dynamics and a need for more transmission capacity. He likens AI to nuclear weapons—a proliferated, unprecedented danger humanity has so far managed—and says he does not believe AI is conscious, while acknowledging the debate matters for regulation. Throughout, he calls for better people and smarter policy in government and expresses optimism that AI can ultimately be reined in.

(Source：The Verge)