While ordinary people worry about AI stealing jobs and widening the wealth gap, billionaire Mark Cuban made a bold statement on the June 29th podcast High Performance: AI is about to create the world’s first trillionaire, who might just be an ordinary person tinkering with code in a basement. This definitively proves that AI isn’t a threat – it’s the ultimate weapon for grassroots individuals to build wealth.
Cuban has witnessed garage-startup legends firsthand – Apple and Amazon both started that way. Now, AI has smashed the barriers to entry down to rock bottom.
OpenAI was born in a living room and is now valued at $300 billion. Sam Altman’s net worth started at $2 billion, and Musk is predicted to become a trillionaire by 2027.
But Cuban pinpointed the key: AI’s insane potential far exceeds these giants. It empowers solo individuals to explode onto the scene.
Check the latest examples:
- September 2024: UK-based Tom Mason used the open-source AI model Stable Diffusion to sell custom illustrations, earning $500,000 in just three months.
- US mom Sarah Jones used ChatGPT to write children’s storybooks, pulling in over $10,000 per month.
This is more democratic than the garage era: One computer plus AI tools, and anyone can be the boss.
Cuban himself uses AI as a health assistant, monitoring his atrial fibrillation medication records. ChatGPT helped him spot anomalies.
He describes AI as a “knowledgeable friend” but stresses the need for vigilance – experts warn AI can misdiagnose, so Cuban demands hard evidence.
This pragmatic approach is perfect for ordinary people: Don’t blindly rely on it. AI is an assistant, not a doctor. Critical moments still require professional verification.
Data backs this up: A 2024 WHO report shows AI medical diagnostic error rates dropped below 5%, a 20% improvement from last year. The safety net is strengthening.
As for AI stealing jobs?
Cuban directly challenged that notion as impossible.
While Musk races with xAI (valued at $80 billion), Cuban believes AI creates new jobs.
Industry reports confirm this:
- The World Economic Forum predicts AI will create 2 million “Prompt Engineer” roles by 2025, with salaries easily exceeding $100,000.
- Freelance platform Upwork data shows AI-related tasks surged 40% in 2024. Ordinary people can earn thousands per month taking on these gigs.
It’s also the ultimate business partner, handling the boring startup grunt work.
Cuban sees it clearly: The AI era is just warming up, and opportunities for grassroots success are exploding. Master the tools, build wealth. Fear unemployment? Not anymore.