#AI #Jobs #LabourPrice #Corporations #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #LabourMarket
🤖 Is AI really taking away jobs, or is it just a scapegoat for corporations to cut costs and drive down the price of labor? Let’s take a closer look at the role of AI in the labor market and how corporations are using it to their advantage.
## The AI Job Myth
The fear of AI taking away jobs has been a hot topic in recent years, with many people worrying about the impact of automation on employment. However, the reality is that AI is not the main culprit when it comes to job loss. In fact, the current state of AI technology is not advanced enough to handle all the tasks that human workers are responsible for. So, if AI isn’t the problem, what is?
## The Real Culprit: Corporate Actions
### Laid off as a Strategy
Corporations have been using mass layoffs as a strategic tool to drive down the price of labor for decades. By dumping thousands of skilled workers into the job market, they create an oversupply of labor, which in turn drives down wages. This gives them leverage over their remaining workers, as they know their employees will be less likely to demand higher wages or better working conditions when they see others being laid off.
### Blaming AI
The narrative of AI taking jobs is a convenient scapegoat for corporations to justify their actions. By shifting the blame to technology, they can deflect attention away from their own cost-cutting measures and avoid backlash from the public and their own employees. It’s a cheap excuse to cover up the real issue at hand.
## The Impact on Workers
### Loss of Skilled Labor
When corporations lay off a large number of skilled workers, it not only drives down wages for the remaining employees, but it also leads to a loss of valuable knowledge and experience. This can have a detrimental impact on the quality of work and productivity within the company.
### Job Insecurity
The constant threat of automation and job loss due to AI can create a sense of insecurity and anxiety among workers. This fear can be used by corporations to keep their employees in check and prevent them from demanding better treatment or fair compensation.
## What Can Be Done?
### Regulation and Oversight
One way to combat the negative impact of AI and corporate layoffs is through government regulation and oversight. By implementing policies that protect workers from unfair labor practices and ensure that corporations are held accountable for their actions, we can create a more equitable labor market.
### Advancing Job Training
Another solution is to invest in job training and reskilling programs for workers who may be at risk of losing their jobs to automation. By equipping them with the skills needed for emerging industries, we can mitigate the impact of job loss and create new opportunities for employment.
### Collective Action
Ultimately, the power to change the labor market lies with the workers themselves. Through collective action, such as forming labor unions and advocating for fair wages and working conditions, employees can demand better treatment from their employers and push back against corporate cost-cutting measures.
In conclusion, it’s clear that the fear of AI taking away jobs is largely unfounded. The real issue at hand is the actions of corporations, who use layoffs and automation as tools to drive down labor prices and maintain control over their workforce. By addressing these corporate tactics and implementing strategies to protect workers, we can create a more fair and equitable labor market for all. AI may not be taking jobs, but corporations are certainly sinking the labor price. It’s time to hold them accountable and advocate for the rights of workers in the face of technological advancement.
First of all, AI can replace humans in certain industries, even today and has been for a long time. AI is not just ChatGPT.
Secondly, tell me the following. Let’s say in 2 years from now, when AI is better and has established applications, if you will need some legal or accounting advice, will you pay hundreds of dollars for that or use free AI that is just as good?
Even better, when you need virtually anything today, let’s say a T-shirt, do you buy a 300 dollar T-shirt that was handmade or the 10 dollar one made 99% by machines and looks the same?
Current state of AI is very temporary. Notice how much the capacity of AI increased after Covid lockdowns have ended. So much progress in such short time! We also reached the point when it can produce good synthetic data which will even accelerate the progress. The end of this decade will be unrecognizable.
I very much agree – the answer to that is unionism like anarcho-syndicalism and creation of worker-cooperatives, through which workers can fight the exploitation of labor in the system and they can create more cooperativist culture that will help them withstand harder times when they come – usually worker coops lower salaries across the board instead of laying off the labor as capitalist firms do. I suggest learning more about worker cooperatives and anarcho-syndicalism to get inspiration for how we can fight against those dirty practices of capitalist class.
unfortunately ppl are ignorant and seem to believe anything a tiktak influencer posts about how op the AI is
Well, yes. The entire idea is to steal as much input (text, images, music) as possible for free, then just churn it endlessly – every shitty copy post, AI image, automated response you get this way is a free way to get something you’d otherwise pay a human for. So in this case the corporate world is salivating because they’re getting to squeeze everyone from multiple angles simultaneously.
You’re clearly not following the progress and reality of AI closely enough. You’re looking into the bore of a shotgun and not realizing you should be afraid.
I work with AI to some extent. It is going to offload a lot of work. But that work offload will not result in less hours work. It will mean a smaller workforce and savings for shareholders. It isn’t sustainable but the people with money no longer care what happens as they got theirs and they have enough to put their kids in the same position.
20% of the workforce does 80% of the work.
That same 20% is also highly desirable to other companies while the 80% isn’t.
Of course.
If anyone do any coding or designing or writing (serious professional) works with AI, they would come to understand the limitations of these tools to replace them within a few hours.
However, the class of academics, researchers, journalists, the politicians and the public somehow got misled away from the actual issues. The hype is similar to Bitcoin, crypto and NFT. You may interest in the [one hour video describing the actual effect of AI “destroying jobs”.](https://youtu.be/EUrOxh_0leE?si=amxxkcDFIDKJV1So) They don’t, they simply made it less secure and paid less.
AI will not replace all employees. AI will augment jobs meaning you need fewer employees for the same output. You will need fewer engineers, analysts, programmers, etc. The jobs remaining will pay less.
Combine AI with robotics and automation your looking at massive unemployment and increased in wealth, healthcare, and education inequalities.
Research on the potential impacts of AI, automation, and robotics on work and potential solutions to mitigate those impacts which are negative. Employment 5.0: The work of the future and the future of work https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X22002275
The Future of Jobs Report 2023 from the World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
Workers are sinking the labor price by not knowing what a fair wage is.
You’re right, and it’s obvious. We’ve seen big business engage in various forms of capital strikes the past year or two to claw back any wage or worker protections gains that were had during the pandemic. This is just another example of that. AI is useful to counter the notion that business needs employees, that we aren’t expendable, and solidarity in the face of that reality gives labor power. They’re trying to give us the impression that isn’t true, that AI is currently capable enough to replace even the highest skilled among laborers, but it’s not currently capable enough at all. It may be soon, in the next few years, but right now today it’s just a tool to whip us into shape and get us back in line.