AI时代配置资源的基础仍然是市场机制

Core Argument - The article argues that despite the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), the most effective and fundamental way to allocate resources remains the market mechanism, and the inherent flaws of planned economies cannot be eliminated by technological advancements [3][16]. Group 1: Production and Coordination - In the AI era, the complexity and specialization of production will increase, requiring an efficient mechanism to coordinate numerous decentralized decisions [3][4]. - The market mechanism coordinates the actions of billions of producers and consumers through price signals, allowing for spontaneous order without central direction [4][17]. Group 2: Nature of Information - Information is inherently decentralized, subjective, and dynamic, making it impossible for a central authority to fully capture consumer preferences [5][6]. - Centralized information processing faces insurmountable incentive and cost issues, leading to distorted data and unreliable planning [6][19]. Group 3: Objective of Interest Differentiation - The market mechanism recognizes and utilizes the inherent differentiation of interests among individuals, businesses, and governments, guiding personal pursuits of profit towards societal wealth [6][20]. - Planned economies require unrealistic assumptions about altruistic planners and unbiased executors, leading to inefficiencies and power struggles [7][20]. Group 4: Necessity of Platform Competition - The rise of powerful e-commerce and supply-matching platforms raises concerns about the establishment of a single, AI-driven national platform, which would effectively be a digital form of planned economy [8][21]. - Monopolies, even if technology-driven, lead to efficiency losses and decreased service quality, while competitive platforms enhance market vitality [21][22]. Group 5: Core Function of Prices - Prices serve as the only effective means of value discovery in the market, encapsulating vast amounts of information [9][22]. - Central planning attempts to calculate prices face significant obstacles, including the lack of genuine preference signals and the risk of administrative distortion [9][22]. Group 6: Dual Nature of Value - The value of goods is determined by both objective production costs and subjective consumer perceptions, with market transactions reflecting this interaction [10][23]. - AI can measure objective costs but cannot quantify subjective value, which is essential for understanding market dynamics [11][24]. Group 7: Indispensability of Currency - Currency is essential for market operations, facilitating complex exchanges and reducing transaction costs [12][25]. - The notion that AI could eliminate currency and enable direct resource allocation overlooks the necessity of a medium for distribution in a resource-scarce environment [12][25]. Conclusion - AI is a revolutionary tool that enhances market participants' capabilities but does not alter fundamental economic principles [13][26]. - The future will not see AI replacing markets but rather enhancing them, leading to a more transparent, efficient, and innovative market economy [13][26].