Recently I was thinking about the occupations for agents, but what will the rise of AI Agent affects us human? I think we might need to embrace a spiky world in the long run.

The Polarization Problem: Why the Rich Might Get (Way) Richer

There’s a strong argument that AI is basically a giant wealth-concentrating machine. Here’s why the skeptics are nervous.

1. The Shift from Workers to Owners

AI isn’t just a fancy spreadsheet; it’s capital. Think of it this way: If you replace ten warehouse workers with one sophisticated robot, the money that used to pay those workers doesn’t just disappear. It flows upward to the person who owns the robot.

As AI agents automate more cognitive tasks, the economic rewards shift from labor (the people doing the work) to capital (the people owning the AI and the infrastructure). If you don’t own the algorithms, you might be left behind.

2. The “Winner-Take-All” Arena

Building world-class AI isn’t cheap. It requires staggering amounts of computing power, mountains of data, and the brightest (and most expensive) minds on the planet. This naturally favors the giants—the massive tech corporations and a handful of wealthy nations.

AI also loves feedback loops: Better AI attracts more users, which generates more data, which makes the AI even better. This leads to monopolies where a few dominant players vacuum up almost all the profits.

3. The Augmentation Gap

AI makes us more productive, but not equally. If you’re a high-skilled professional—say, a software architect or a strategic executive—AI is like strapping on a jetpack. You can achieve exponentially more.

However, if your job involves routine tasks that are easily automated, AI might not give you a boost; it might give you a pink slip. This widening gap in productivity leads directly to a widening gap in paychecks.

The Flattening Force: Power to the People

Don’t despair just yet. There’s a powerful, optimistic case for how AI can level the playing field like never before.

1. Expertise on Demand (for Pennies)

Historically, specialized knowledge was expensive. Need legal advice? Financial planning? A personalized tutor? Get ready to pay up.

AI agents are shattering this dynamic by delivering high-level expertise at near-zero cost. Anyone with an internet connection could soon have access to personalized medical insights, sophisticated business strategy, and coding assistance. This radically lowers the barrier to entry for almost everything.

2. The Rise of the Solo-Entrepreneur

Imagine having a hyper-competent virtual staff available 24/7. A single entrepreneur can use AI agents for complex accounting, targeted marketing, software development, and logistics.

This allows small businesses and individuals to compete with massive corporations in ways that were unthinkable five years ago. It’s a massive democratization of capability.

3. Skill Leveling

AI can act as the ultimate coach. By providing real-time guidance, complex analysis, and instant feedback, AI agents allow less-experienced workers to perform tasks previously reserved for seasoned experts. This “levels up” the broader workforce, potentially increasing the earning power of millions.

The Squeeze: What Happens to the Middle Class?

This is where things get tricky. If the polarization forces are pushing wealth to the very top, and the flattening forces are raising the capabilities at the bottom, what happens to the vast majority in the middle?

They get squeezed.

The traditional middle class was built on specialized, often cognitive, labor. Think middle management, accounting, paralegals, routine data analysis, and basic administration. The uncomfortable truth is that these “routine cognitive tasks” are prime targets for AI automation.

This suggests a significant “hollowing out” of the labor market. The stability that defined the middle-class career path is dissolving.

In this new landscape, the middle class is likely to split:

• The Up-Skillers: Those who adapt quickly and focus on skills that complement AI—like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, creativity, or AI management—will leverage the technology to become vastly more productive and move upward.
• The Down-Shifters: Those whose skills are entirely replicated by AI, and who cannot easily retrain, may be forced into lower-paying service roles or trades that require physical presence and that AI cannot (yet) automate.

The era of showing up, doing a predictable cognitive task for 40 years, and retiring comfortably may be ending. The new middle class will require constant adaptation.