Venture capitalist Bill Gurley argues that current fears regarding artificial intelligence displacing human jobs mirror historical anxieties from the Industrial Revolution, a period he believes ultimately failed to deliver the catastrophic outcomes its critics predicted. Speaking on the All-In Podcast, Gurley contrasted recent warnings from Pope Leo XIV about mass unemployment caused by AI with the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII. The earlier papal document warned that industrial capitalism would harm workers and widen inequality, a stance Gurley contends was proven incorrect by historical data. According to Gurley, the century following the Industrial Revolution saw living standards rise dramatically rather than collapse. He noted that the global average workweek decreased from over 60 hours to 34 hours, while real wages increased eight to ten times when adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, he cited significant improvements in life expectancy, a decline in workplace fatalities, and a reduction in global poverty from approximately 75 percent to under 10 percent. Gurley attributed these positive trends to technology, innovation, and capitalism, asserting that the fears of the era were misplaced. While Gurley's broad historical observations align with general economic consensus, some of his specific figures are difficult to verify independently. Data from the International Labour Organization indicates the average global workweek was 43.9 hours prior to the pandemic, not the 34 hours Gurley mentioned. Additionally, research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that since 1979, productivity growth in the United States has significantly outpaced wage growth for typical workers, suggesting that the benefits of innovation have not always been evenly distributed. Despite these nuances, Gurley maintains that there is no reason to believe AI will break the historical pattern of innovation driving prosperity. He suggested that while automation may reshape certain job categories, workers who embrace AI tools will be better positioned than those who resist them. His comments reflect a broader shift in the industry, with figures such as Apollo chief economist Torsten Sløk and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon stating there is little evidence that AI is currently causing net job losses. Similarly, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has softened earlier predictions of widespread unemployment. However, the narrative remains complex. Several major companies, including Block, Cloudflare, Cisco, IBM, Coinbase, and Snap, have cited AI as a factor in recent layoffs. Experts suggest these decisions may overstate the technology's immediate impact while downplaying other significant pressures such as pandemic-era overhiring, higher interest rates, inflation, and trade policy uncertainty. Ultimately, Gurley posits that the best strategy for individuals is to integrate AI into their workflows rather than fear its replacement.