The BaseEssayLessWrong
Permanent underclass taxonomy
According to the excerpt, the author becausecurious notes that people use "permanent underclass" for very different outcomes, which makes debate hard. The post sets out a taxonomy of these uses, starting from a definition of an upper class as people who control AI and its infrastructure. The author labels it personal thoughts, not predictions.
Why it matters
The same thing, for different readers.
What it means for you
People who warn of a "permanent underclass" from AI may mean quite different things, and this post tries to sort those meanings.
The question it raises
Whether a lasting underclass exists depends on the imagined future, so the author argues disputes are often about assumptions, not facts.
The record
- Questions
- What happens to work, income and the economy?
- People
- becausecurious (Wrote it)
- What we read
- We have read only the description the publisher gives. No quotations until someone reads the source itself.
- Found by
- The Radar, run of October 20, 2026, via
lesswrong(tier 1: the source’s own channel or an official record) - Cite this
- LessWrong, “Permanent underclass taxonomy”, October 19, 2026. Entry in the Ctrl AI Base, https://ctrlai.com/base/lesswrong-2026-10-19-permanent-underclass-taxonomy
Our notesLight lane: only the excerpt was read; the taxonomy's categories are not known to us. The author is a pseudonym. The author says AI was used for research, phrasing and editing.