Andrew Ng argues that AI, much like literacy, has the potential to enrich society if democratized beyond big tech companies. He highlights the 'long-tail problem' where millions of custom AI projects for small businesses remain unaddressed due to high development costs and the lack of 'one-size-fits-all' solutions. Ng proposes that new data-centric AI development platforms will empower individuals and small businesses to build their own AI systems, fostering widespread innovation and ensuring that the immense wealth generated by AI is distributed broadly across society.