# Competent Intelligence Changes the Economy Before Superintelligence by Emad Mostaque > “The thing that impacts people economically is not artificial superintelligence or general intelligence. It is actually competent intelligence.” > **— Emad Mostaque**, *Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, 2026* ## Sources and Context - **Recording and full quotation:** [THIS is What Happens When AI Gets Smarter Than Humans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsdcF7EEvhM&t=1377s) — Mostaque states the distinction at 22:57 while explaining that reliable, usable capability can alter work before more speculative intelligence thresholds are reached. - **Editorial treatment:** The Reminder reproduces the complete contiguous statement with only transcription punctuation and capitalization normalized. - **Reconciled transcript record:** [[research/AI Is Now So Good They Will Pay You to Quit|AI Is Now So Good They Will Pay You to Quit]]. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Immediate AI Risk Is the Public|The Immediate AI Risk Is the Public]] - **Article:** [[articles/Safety Discourse Is Transition Discourse|Safety Discourse Is Transition Discourse]] - **Article:** [[articles/Vertically Integrating an AI Superpower from AI Factory to Citizen|Vertically Integrating an AI Superpower from AI Factory to Citizen]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/AI Economy|AI Economy]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Emad Mostaque|Emad Mostaque]] - [[wiki/Competent Intelligence|Competent Intelligence]] - [[wiki/AI Economy|AI Economy]] - [[wiki/Frontier AI|Frontier AI]] - [[wiki/Technological Unemployment|Technological Unemployment]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “The thing that impacts people economically is not artificial superintelligence or general intelligence. It is actually competent intelligence.” — Emad Mostaque, Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, 2026 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-emad-mostaque-competent-intelligence-economy ```