With the invasion of AI, humanity will remain unemployed?
In the not too distant future, AI will take the place of humans in all jobs, that they are manual, creative or relational.
The only professions that will remain immune from all this will be those that, per culture, we don't want to delegate to machines, such as school teaching or caring for the elderly. Per culture, be careful, not because software won't be able to replace us in those sectors too. Many consequences will arise from this scenario: how will we manage a humanity without work? We will need to think about how to distribute the income, how to create purpose and how to stem the superpower of Big Tech.
The intrinsic limits of “A world without work”
Before attracting the antipathies of those who read, I'll say that right away These theories are not mine, but by Daniel Susskind, author of A world without work. A compelling essay full of material to reflect on.
Right, it has its limits, given above all by the fact that “historical predictions” are very difficult to come true: all it takes is one change in any sociopolitical variable or an unexpected invention and everything will be rewritten again. This inherent instability in the fabric of human evolution makes it difficult to precisely map out the possible scenarios we might face. Presenting a hypothesis so projected into the future as certain, Therefore, it's quite misleading. For goodness sake, maybe in twenty years we will all be unemployed and we will agree with the good Susskind, but me I would have preferred a more cautious tone, also to avoid alarmism. And this is not the only critical point of the essay, in my opinion.
A partial view
Let's get to the problem that I believe is more macroscopic than "A world without work": I find the author's perspective too based on what happens in the USA and Great Britain. And the rest of Europe? Apart from a quick mention of how much Italians are mama's boys (I swear), there's no talking about it. China is barely mentioned, where population control with AI is now a daily reality.
The rest of the world? India, Japan, United Arab Emirates and so on? Not received. And developing states? They will be left behind? Boh. In short, it could have been better explored and less Anglo-Saxon-centric (after all it's called "A world without work", not “USA and UK without work”). But it's still worth reading, to have a look at the possible scenarios of AI in our society.
Reflecting on AI
AI is now a daily reality, not a nerd whim or futuristic technology. Therefore, essays like “A World Without Work” can help us better understand the profound implications of this technological evolution and navigate the complex socioeconomic landscape that comes with it..
Automation and artificial intelligence are transforming the way we live, we work and interact with reality. Right, the “intelligent machines”, fortunately, they can also be collaborative partners in various sectors, optimizing processes and improving the quality of life.
Despite the many positive sides, However, we cannot ignore the concerns that emerge from the ongoing transformation: the fear of a massive replacement of workers on the part of the machines is real. The erosion of traditional human skills and the polarization of economic opportunities are non-trivial issues to reflect on. As regards the publishing sector, I spoke in depth about the implications of these technologies in the article Artificial intelligence for text writing: it will steal our jobs?
How to manage growing automation?
Works like “A world without work”, however questionable, they provide a space for reflection on how to manage this transition towards an increasingly automated future. They explore the socioeconomic implications, suggesting possible policies that can guarantee equity, inclusion and a redistribution of resources in a context in which automation is increasingly pervasive.
This requires a reconsideration of education systems, in order to provide skills that can adapt to the needs of a new economy, different from everything we are used to. It also means looking carefully at public policies, to guarantee economic support to those who could lose their jobs due to automation.
As we seek to better understand the role and impact of AI in our society, It is essential to maintain a balance between responsible adoption of emerging technologies and safeguarding fundamental human values. We need to address ethical issues, such as the transparency of algorithms, data privacy and the impact of automated decisions on our autonomy. And what do you think? The world will be left without work?
