The rich have a gravitational pull on the economy, dragging it in their direction, producing an unclear picture of the economy and making things more expensive for everyone. With a president obsessed with gold and material wealth, the Second Gilded Age metaphors write themselves; just look at the literally gilded add-ons to the Oval Office.

AI can depict you as an anime character. It can respond half-intelligently to questions about the Franco-Prussian War or concentrations of sulfur in the upper atmosphere. It can delight and distract and maybe help you get work done. But none of that is as prized by corporate America as its data-driven approach to the previously conjectural world of pricing.

Americans increasingly understand that our current economy isn’t meeting their interests and that it’s rigged to favor the wealthy. Creating a more equitable economy—effectively, reinventing a vibrant American middle class—will be an arduous task.