Spencer Schiff, known for advocating Bitcoin as the top cryptocurrency, has taken an unexpected turn, becoming bearish on the top cryptocurrency. The son of prominent economist Peter Schiff has shifted his focus to artificial intelligence (AI) innovations, predicting a significant impact on the world — and maybe going a little too all in.
A story in two parts. Spencer is terrible at saving. Now he believes that AI productivity gains will somehow save him.
— Jimmy Song (송재준) (@jimmysong) July 25, 2023
His beliefs changed because the virtue of saving was too hard. He found it much easier to believe that AI will save you without you having to do anything.… pic.twitter.com/ycKX4qQMcR
In a series of Twitter responses, Spencer expressed his belief that AI will be the driving force behind innovation. This dramatic change in perspective has led to questions about the influence of his father’s opinions, especially since Spencer was once a vocal critic of Peter Schiff’s skepticism of Bitcoin.
During the last bull run, Spencer strongly defended Bitcoin against his father’s doubts about its sustainability. He even labeled Peter’s concerns as “Bitcoin Derangement Syndrome” and dismissed the idea that Bitcoin could be replaced by altcoins.
However, now he has distanced himself from the cryptocurrency and asserted that it will have little impact on the world, anticipating its price to decline significantly over the next few years.
It’s not about Bitcoin at all. I don’t think Bitcoin will have a major impact on the world, and its price will probably fall to near zero over the next few years. My thesis is an AI thesis.
— Spencer Schiff (@SpencerKSchiff) July 18, 2023
The younger Schiff has shifted his attention to AI, believing that it will be the catalyst for an economic boom.
I can't wait for the productivity numbers to really start to move. Very few people understand that we're on the cusp of an economic boom that dwarfs every other economic boom in human history
— Spencer Schiff (@SpencerKSchiff) June 30, 2023
The 20-year-old investor has been pumping the sector, retweeting updates on OpenAI, GPT-4, and the like, and stuff like “the singularity is near,” and has gone as far as claiming that climate change doesn’t matter because “we’ll be able to precisely control the climate of any planet.”
It doesn’t matter. Soon we’ll be able to precisely control the climate of any planet, and if not, we’ll all be killed at the same time by misaligned ASI anyway
— Spencer Schiff (@SpencerKSchiff) July 29, 2023
Although it’s unclear where these claims, which almost sound like AI will solve it all, are stemming from.
Mainstream media doesn’t care about Deepmind’s RT-2. There’s almost no coverage of how we are on the cusp of LITERALLY MAKING STAR WARS DROIDS A REALITY. There will come a day, soon, when Tesla livestreams a mind-blowing Optimus demo. That should wake people up.
— Spencer Schiff (@SpencerKSchiff) July 30, 2023
Meanwhile, regulatory bodies in the United States are investigating potential risks associated with AI technology. The Federal Trade Commission’s probe into OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, highlights the growing concerns about ethical implications and privacy issues surrounding AI.
The elder Schiff basically shrugged off in response, saying that Bitcoin is a “passing fad” and that his son has simply lost interest and moved on to the next one, which in this case is AI.
My son @SpencerKSchiff is no longer bullish on #Bitcoin. As young people typically do, he's lost interest in a passing fad and moved on to something new. In this case it's #AI that's captivated his attention. As Bitcoin's young fan base matures many more will grow out of Bitcoin.
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) July 19, 2023
Information for this story was found via Twitter/X, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.