Will AI Add More Jobs Than It Destroys?

[CamoDeafie]

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Good points. Right now it seems "Ai" is mainly being used to do "art" and "writing", but not so much actual labor...

I can see data entry types of jobs going to Ai, I can see Ai being useful in bureaucracy, particularly when it comes to data collection and such...

But I'd like to see more housekeeping robots and Ai used for such things than the other direction that its going for.

 

[Nosferatu]

Seems like AI would be a good fit to replace corruption in our legal system i.e. Lawyers and Judges.

Only if not trained by those same people.

Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[Stomper]

Yesterday I was reading Gen Z is being called the tool belt generation. So many are skipping collage to learn a trade. The writer guesses that they don't trust collages and can see what a waste a liberal arts degree is when you need a job! DR

True dat! You ain't gonna talk that IKEA bookcase together.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I dislike the idea of AI.
Simply because of the notion that it is artificial .
As in something that does not occur naturally or is real.
And yes I see the irony of posting this on a computer..instead of an actual real face to face conversation.

Now with that said...
Some things like an artificial heart can be useful and a good thing.
However other things like
Artificial flavor , sugar , butter , etc...ain't so damn good.

The over reliance of some product to do something or make something....which then in turn can lead to a loss of actual skill or knowledge is something I don't want to happen , at least for me.
Andy

 

[Loc]

The over reliance of some product to do something or make something....which then in turn can lead to a loss of actual skill or knowledge is something I don't want to happen , at least for me.
Andy

The movie WALL-E comes to mind...

 

[Nosferatu]

I dislike the idea of AI.
Simply because of the notion that it is artificial .
As in something that does not occur naturally or is real.
And yes I see the irony of posting this on a computer..instead of an actual real face to face conversation.

Now with that said...
Some things like an artificial heart can be useful and a good thing.
However other things like
Artificial flavor , sugar , butter , etc...ain't so damn good.

The over reliance of some product to do something or make something....which then in turn can lead to a loss of actual skill or knowledge is something I don't want to happen , at least for me.
Andy

So what if it was called what it actually is, "machine learning algorithm" or "Generative Pre-trained Transformer" (which is what the GPT in ChatGPT stands for). Would you then be OK with it? Is it just a marketing problem?

I agree that Artificial Intelligence is a bad name and conjures up Skynet and all the fear-mongering that goes with it. It's not all bad though and can do menial computing tasks in seconds.

For example, the other day I needed a SQL script to search for some databases with specific criteria. I know enough TSQL to be dangerous, but not an expert. I asked ChatGPT to do it for me and it had a 99% functional block of code that I just had to make a couple minor tweaks to and it was done. It would have taken me a couple hours at least to write it out from scratch.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Nosferatu
Nope...still won't like it.
A rose by any other name....is still a rose.
Andy

 

[pacNWvike]

Depends on the AI and advancements in robotics. Not to mention the rises in minimum wage. Once it gets cheaper to implement AI then it is to pay workers salaries and benefits, it could potentially eliminate a lot of jobs not just white collar. You would need a lot less people to maintain the automation then manufacture. I could see the shift in quite a few industries. You sort of seeing it already just with order kiosks, self-checkout, and things of that nature. They don't eliminate all jobs, but they do take a few here and there. So every advancement has the potential to eliminate a couple more. What does that look like in 10 to 20 to 50 years. Hard to say. I do know currently technology in many areas has come a long way since 1974. It doesn't seem to be slowing down. But again, while some jobs are eliminated others are created in new sectors with different skills. So hopefully a balance is met.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Now please don't let it be misunderstood that I am against advancements or technology.

I like firearms...they are a form of technology....
Everyday things like my truck..sure beat the horse and buggy for going places and hauling items.
Helicopters ...sure made things interesting when I was in the Army...not to forget....made it so soldiers could go in and out places in a hurry....
Ibuprofen and allergy pills makes life easier....
Toilet Paper ...a type of advancement that is often overlooked or taken for granted ....
Till it is needed...but ain't available.

What I dislike is the over reliance of technology to do a job or skill...and the loss of knowledge of how to actually do that job or skill by people.
And yes...this can over lap...
A calculator makes adding things up easy....but can lead to a loss of basic math skills , like counting out change.
A GPS is handy...but knowing how to read a map and compass will work even if the battery dies.
Range estimation is important in shooting...so a range finder is handy...
But with practice one can do the same without one.

Again...
Advancement is good ...since stagnation can lead to being left behind or out of touch...at best...death at worst.
Just saying that a balance here is needed and good to have.
Andy

 

[Loc]

I think there's one more factor to consider here. Everyone is concerned about losing their job, and rightfully so, but most western countries are in a population decline (China as well), so someone or something is going to have to takeover production of that role. Will there be less population to sell products and services to? No. The location of the sale may change though (India).

The bigger question is, where will the money come from to pay for entitlement programs as the population decreases? Are we going to tax AI/ML services? Tax the products they produce more heavily (increased consumption tax)? Some thoughts rolling around my head this morning on the topic.

 

[gmerkt]

I'm thinking for a start, AI will undercut industries relying on images. Like modelling or acting. We are already seeing AI images in use.

Toilet Paper ...a type of advancement that is often overlooked or taken for granted ....

Yes, even into the 1980's, TP wasn't issued to Russian soldiers in the field. That's how the American Military Liaison Mission in East Germany was able to gather some intel, by examining (with rubber gloves) vacated Russian bivouac sites. Because soldiers sometimes used classified documents to clean up with.

but most western countries are in a population decline (China as well), so someone or something is going to have to takeover production of that role.

The US has the immigration flow to take up that slack.

The bigger question is, where will the money come from to pay for entitlement programs as the population decreases?

That's a problem that is being baked into deficit spending well before AI.

 

[Provincial]

One detail about AI is that it is programmed with current knowledge. In other words, it uses "known" information, and operates in a reference programmed to fit current theory. It is unlikely to "think out of the box."

Bill Lear made it possible to make radios that were smaller than a breadbox. The tuning coils were huge, wound with solid wire. He designed a tuning coil made with stranded wire, and it was so small he eventually reduced the size of a radio receiver small enough to mount in an automobile.

It is unlikely that AI would make a jump in theory like this. It will take existing theory and perhaps improve on it within the bounds of existing knowledge.

 

[Jason Brown]

While we may not be there yet, we are closer than we have ever been to robots replacing a fair amount of the minimum wage workers. If we now have an AI that can recognize that a dish is dirty or clean, knows where to put the dishes away, understands the concept of what is edible to a human being, and it can recognize and pick up the trash; every Mcdonald's and retail point of sale will want one of these at its checkout once they are no longer cost prohibitive.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1QZB5baNw

 

[made in china]

AI will definitely decimate the majority of jobs that were/are being done from home.

For example, there are teams of web designers who generate web layouts and designs to compel people to buy more stuff. If it's a 40 person team, why can't it be whittled down to 2 or 3 people, let AI crunch data and trends, spit out a bunch of ideas, and let those 2 or 3 remaining employees pick the ideas that are most relevant and/or natural?
AI can then evaluate what the human co-workers chose, and the forthcoming data trends from the application of it's design, and further refine itself.

AI can also be used to sort data, identify trends, manage schedules, take calls, etc.

I used to work in downtown Seattle where Amazon is. All those tech bros can definitely be replaced. What's so special about people who work for e-commerce platforms? They expect lattes, safe spaces and to be able to bring their doggy to work. Afuera! Even if they resist.....

Remember how outsized the white collar industries are in our economy. These are mostly just people who peddle creation and ideas. Replaceable....

Speaking of AI opening up new employment opportunities.... you think government is a fat pig now, wait until it starts trying to absorb unemployed professionals.... the government will become so wasteful and onerous.....

 

[Provincial]

All part of the plan. It is coming together as we speak!

 

[lucusloc]

Th

Many people were afraid that the internet was going to eliminate more jobs than it created. That doesn't appear to be what happened. The same fear is going around regarding AI. What types of jobs do you think will be created as AI becomes commonplace?


Here is one person's take.

AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes

AI is a tsunami about to upend the global economy, throwing 300 million jobs into mayhem and forcing half the workforce to learn new skills.

www.businessinsider.com

The same thing has been said about every productivity innovation in human history. There were riots over the introduction of the steam engine, the cotton gin was going to impoverish whole nations, computers would destroy entry level white collar jobs and destroy the first rungs on the professional ladder. . .

None of these prophesies came true. What did happen is major shifts in how productivity was organized; less field hands, more mechanics or less typists more report writers. That will happen with AI too. We will not "lose jobs" we will shift where our efforts and productivity is focused as we invent new ways to automate more and more tasks. It has always been thus, it will always be thus; we are not just going to abandon all the capability of human productivity because we invented something to do something that we used to have to do ourselves. Our own productivity is simply too valuable to waste like that.

Now yes, some people will be uncomfortable with this shift. Some jobs will be "lost" and those people will have to find other jobs to be productive again. But there will be other jobs, and probably more of them as the new savings in human productivity will mean we can do more with less, and our per-capita GDP will go up, and everyone will be looking to capitalize off that gain in efficiency by employing even more people. The jobs will still be there (and more to boot), they just may not be in the same spot they were yesterday.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I want robots that can reliably clean and put away toys, stuff, and know the difference between toys and paper, can vacuum, wash dishes and laundry and put said things away properly, without it being cheaper to hire maids and nannies

 

[lucusloc]

I want robots that can reliably clean and put away toys, stuff, and know the difference between toys and paper, can vacuum, wash dishes and laundry and put said things away properly, without it being cheaper to hire maids and nannies

I have one of those. She. . . is probably going to kill me if she ever reads this.

 

[bradsteen]

I have one of those. She. . . is probably going to kill me if she ever reads this.

"Whatever happened to @lucusloc ?"

View: https://youtu.be/0YzsWVUO-_o?feature=shared

 

[lucusloc]

"Whatever happened to @lucusloc ?"

View: https://youtu.be/0YzsWVUO-_o?feature=shared

Yeah, only she wouldn't run, she would sit that officer right down and lecture them on how it was totally justified and she has the receipts to prove it, then dare them to arrest her, and failing that to get over there and give her a damn hand ("Are you really going to make a lady do all this hard work without offering to help?!").