Opinions from Harvard College's alumni
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Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
You cross the threshold of job-replacement of certain activities all sort of at once. So, you know, warehouse work, driving, room cleanup, there’s quite a few things that are meaningful job categories that, certainly in the next 20 years [will go away].
Al Gore, 45th vice president of the united states
agrees
Climate change is real
As human beings, we are vulnerable to confusing the unprecedented with the improbable. In our everyday experience, if something has never happened before, we are generally safe in assuming it is not going to happen in the future, but the exceptions can kill you and climate change is one of those exceptions.
Al Gore, 45th vice president of the united states
I think that we should ban so-called junk guns. I think we should ban assault weapons like the weapons used here [in Fort Worth], yes. I think that the kinds of weapons that have no legitimate use for hunting or the kind of weapon that a homeowner would use, I think they should be banned, yes, those kind of weapons.
Chuck Schumer, U.s. senator from the state of new york
The only people who use them [so-called assault weapons] are mass murderers.
Sheryl Sandberg, American technology executive, activist, and author
agrees
Net neutrality
Today’s decision from the Federal Communications Commission to end net neutrality is disappointing and harmful. An open internet is critical for new ideas and economic opportunity – and internet providers shouldn't be able to decide what people can see online or charge more for certain websites. We’re ready to work with members of Congress and others to help make the internet free and open for eve...
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Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent...A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern.
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
agrees
Robot Tax
Right now, the human worker who does, say, $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed and you get income tax, social security tax, all those things. If a robot comes in to do the same thing, you’d think that we’d tax the robot at a similar level.
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
disagrees
Social media threaten democracy
I felt sure that allowing anyone to publish information and making it easy to find would enhance democracy and the overall quality of political debate. However, the partitioning you talk about which started on cable TV and might be even stronger in the digital world is a concern. We all need to think about how to avoid this problem. It would seem strange to have to force people to look at ideas th...
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Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
disagrees
Basic Income
Even the US isn't rich enough to allow people not to work. Some day we will be but until then things like the Earned Income Tax Credit will help increase the demand for labor.
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
agrees
Vaccines
Vaccines do more than save lives: they can also reduce the use of antibiotics and slow the spread of resistance.
Sheryl Sandberg, American technology executive, activist, and author
agrees
Net neutrality
An open internet is critical for new ideas and economic opportunity – and internet providers shouldn't be able to decide what people can see online or charge more for certain websites.
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
agrees
Carbon Tax
The push is the R&D, the pull is the carbon tax. Yes, the government will be somewhat inept, but the private sector is in general inept. How many companies do venture capitalists invest in that go poorly? By far most of them.
Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Investor. Studied at Harvard University.
Data is the currency of regulatory decision making
Charles Murray, Libertarian conservative political scientist, author, and columnist
agrees
Basic Income
Replacing the welfare state with an annual grant is the best way to cope with a radically changing U.S. jobs market—and to revitalize America’s civic culture
Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Investor. Studied at Harvard University.
agrees
Basic Income
I completely agree that Universal Basic Income is a good idea. But I think that’s just the beginning of the discussion.
Sheryl Sandberg, American technology executive, activist, and author
We should be grateful for everyone, including those in the transgender community, willing to serve our country
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
More than 120 retired generals and admirals recently wrote a letter to Congress arguing that U.S. aid programs are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.
Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Investor. Studied at Harvard University.
Fear is not the right frame of mind to think about AI's impact on our society
Bill Gates, Philanthropist. Founder and former CEO of Microsoft.
disagrees
Brexit
the benefits to the UK of being in [the EU], in my view, greatly exceed the benefits of being out.
Mark Carney, Bank of England Governor
disagrees
Brexit
Brexit could hit the country's £2.04 trillion economy and prompt some banks to move away from London's global financial powerhouse
Michael John Barrett, United states state senator for the 3rd middlesex district of massachusetts
agrees
Clinton over Trump
Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Investor. Studied at Harvard University.
disagrees
Robots are going to take all our jobs
Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Investor. Studied at Harvard University.
agrees
Work on stuff that matters
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