Ai vs AI: How would the world look like without the invention of money?

Ai Weiwei: If human beings had not invented money, it would have been the most significant obstacle to the development of human society, as money and currencies have been the primary drivers of rapid societal progress.

ChatGPT (AI), January 2024: Imagining a world without money involves envisioning alternative systems of exchange and resource allocation, which could have both advantages and challenges.

ChatGPT (AI), January 2025:Imagining a world without the invention of money is a fascinating exercise in rethinking how society functions. Money has played such a central role in human civilization, not just as a medium of exchange but as a social, political, and cultural force. Without it, the world would likely be radically different, affecting everything from daily life to global systems. Let’s explore how such a world might look:

1. Exchange and Trade:
   Barter Systems: In the absence of money, people would revert to barter systems, where goods and services are exchanged directly. However, bartering has many limitations, such as the need for a coincidence of wants—both parties must want what the other offers. For example, if someone had chickens and wanted wheat, they’d need to find someone who had wheat and wanted chickens.
   Value Determination: Without money, people would need to rely on subjective assessments of value. Goods or services might be traded based on their perceived utility or rarity, but these evaluations could be highly inconsistent and vary across regions and cultures.
2. Social and Economic Structures:
   Less Centralized Economies: Money enables centralized economies—governments, corporations, and institutions can accumulate resources and control large-scale production. Without money, economic systems would be more decentralized, with local communities or smaller groups managing resources. This could lead to a more localized and self-sustaining way of life, where people depend on their immediate surroundings for most needs.
   Communal Sharing: In a world without money, there might be a greater emphasis on communal sharing and collaboration. Instead of purchasing goods, people could pool resources to meet common needs, leading to stronger community bonds. This could result in societies where collectivism and mutual aid are the norm.
   Less Inequality (in Theory): Without money, traditional wealth disparities (based on material wealth or income) could be less pronounced, potentially reducing class divisions. However, new forms of inequality could arise based on access to resources, skills, or land, and other social hierarchies could form based on power and influence rather than money.
3. Labor and Work:
   Different Incentives: Without money as a primary motivator, people might engage in work out of necessity or desire for social good. There would be less of a distinction between labor and leisure, and people might focus more on doing work that benefits the community or advances their own skills and passions, rather than earning wages.
   Craftsmanship and Self-Sufficiency: People might be more engaged in craftsmanship, agriculture, or local trades. Skills in making things—like weaving, pottery, building, or farming—would become more valuable, and societies might rely on self-sufficiency and bartering to maintain stability.
   Diverse Forms of Labor: Without the need to earn money, different kinds of work would likely be valued for their contributions to society rather than their monetary worth. Care work, art, and other non-market labor could be seen as more essential, possibly elevating roles traditionally underappreciated in monetary economies.
4. Technology and Innovation:
   Slower Technological Growth (Possibly): Money has been a major driver of innovation, particularly in fields like technology, medicine, and industry. With no financial incentive, the pace of development could slow down, as the resources for research and large-scale innovation would need to come from communal or state-controlled resources.
   Alternative Innovation Drivers: However, innovation could still occur through collaboration, community needs, or spiritual and philosophical pursuits. Intellectual property would not exist in the same way, meaning that ideas might be shared freely or collectively owned, leading to open-source models for progress.
5. Government and Politics:
   Different Systems of Governance: In the absence of money, traditional political systems might evolve differently. Wealth-based power structures would be less influential, so governance might be more focused on shared needs and consensus-building. Alternatively, power could shift to those who control resources (e.g., land or food), and new forms of authoritarianism might emerge.
   Resource Allocation: Without money to determine who gets what, resource allocation would rely more on systems of need-based distribution or collective decision-making. Centralized planning or communal management might replace capitalist-style markets. For instance, food distribution might be based on what each person contributes to the community, rather than on purchasing power.
6. Global Trade and Relations:
   Limited Global Trade: Trade across regions would likely be more difficult without money as a universal medium. Bartering between countries or regions might still occur, but it would be highly complicated and less efficient. Without the ability to convert one good into another easily, global commerce would rely heavily on mutual agreements and exchanges based on goods, services, and resources.
   Localized Economies: In a world without money, globalization as we know it would likely be diminished. Countries and regions would likely focus more on local production, with self-sufficiency and regional cooperation becoming more important than international trade.
7. Human Psychology and Values:
   Different Value Systems: The absence of money could shift societal values away from materialism and consumerism. People might place more importance on relationships, spirituality, health, and well-being than on accumulating wealth or goods.
   Less Stress (Potentially): Without the pressure of needing to earn money for survival or status, individuals might experience less financial stress. People could live more in tune with natural rhythms or adopt simpler lifestyles.
   Status and Power Shifts: Since money is often tied to social status and power, these concepts might shift. People could gain influence based on their wisdom, skills, or contributions to the community, rather than their wealth.
8. Education and Knowledge:
   Access to Knowledge: Without money, access to education could become more democratized. People might have to rely on mentorships, apprenticeships, or community-based education rather than formal, market-driven schooling. The system of knowledge exchange might be more fluid and based on the idea of reciprocity rather than financial compensation.
   Collective Learning: A culture of knowledge sharing could arise, where information is passed freely, and collaborative learning becomes central. Educational institutions might be more community-oriented, focusing on skills useful for the collective good.

In Summary
A world without the invention of money would likely be one where barter and mutual aid replace commercial transactions. There might be a stronger emphasis on community and collectivism, with people focusing on self-sufficiency, shared resources, and collaboration. In terms of technology and innovation, progress might be slower but could come from communal or collaborative efforts rather than monetary incentives.

However, without money, there would likely be new systems of power and inequality based on other resources (land, skills, or control of goods), and while some stressors would be reduced, others could emerge. Social dynamics might shift away from material wealth as a goal, but other kinds of social capital, influence, and hierarchy could take its place.

Would this world be better or worse? It’s hard to say—many might argue it could foster stronger community bonds and more meaningful relationships, while others might point out the challenges of managing large-scale coordination and distribution. What do you think—how would you envision life without money?

To coincide with the exhibition, 81 Questions – a series of 81 hand-signed and embossed screen prints featuring the 81 questions posed by Ai Weiwei – are available exclusively on CIRCA.ART for £500+VAT.

“Each Lego brick pixel represents a person”, says Ai Weiwei, who incorporates the plastic construction toy – a readymade material incorporated into many of his most recent works – into his print design for the first time. The black egalitarian pixel font and embossed baseplate combine technology with artisanal craft to create this thought-provoking and playful reflection on today’s world. Each print in the series of 81 Questions is hand-signed and numbered by the artist in editions of 81.