Democracy is a facade to please the masses.

I think it will be a rather fast polarization between thinking and unthinking people.

Those who don't like intellectual labour may get further simplified, since they can ask simple questions and get simple answers, and don't have to go through the process between A and B.
Intellectuals may find it to be another tool to aid in their strive to become more merited.

Unless literal armageddon arrives before that, i think that within 30 years we will see a society where you pretty much have to be a top dog genius to not live by the scrapes that the absolute majority of people will have to live by, and the absolute chasm between haves and have-nots will be unrivaled.

I get both sides.

On one hand, i agree that it's important to keep a lookout for big changes, although i believe changes are on a pretty imminent horizon that are bigger than just the advent of AI.

On the other hand, it's not really that fun to dwell in a constant sense of imminent revolution and balls to the walls awe/terror, unless you would be absolutely sure you come out at the good end of it, so i get why people rather do mundane shit.

I like to think about those things, but i have done it for years.
Not necessarily AI, but general catastrophe scenarios and societal revolutions.
It's tiring, and now i just like to sit down for a while, have a beer, play wow, and pretend like i'm above decent at something in a way that manifests into reality, instead of all that unbridled potential swelling up in my amazing little head.