“"The biggest problem in this country is [AI] will raise the standard of living of the average person, but the people involved are likely to get 10, 100 times wealthier than they already are. That's a problem for society." Middle-class workers, by contrast, might simply see their salaries double over the next decade.”
Said Jul 17, 2026Deadline Dec 31, 2036Fortune, reporting Karp's remarks to Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner on the MDMeets podcast, July 17, 2026
Karp framed the gap — roughly 2x for middle-class wages versus 10-100x for AI owners — as 'a complete decoupling of unimaginable wealth and normal wealth'; resolvable against US median wage growth through 2036.