Artificial intelligence could potentially jeopardize the human race, yet it has the potential to dramatically alter it for the better.
In a world where capitalism and technology reign supreme, the concept of traditional jobs may evolve, giving way to meaningful work such as artisanal crafts. This shift is being driven by the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics on employment and the future of work, with significant economic and political implications.
Economically, AI and automation could displace hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide. By 2030, manufacturing could lose 20 million jobs to automation, while AI and robotics are expected to automate roughly 27% of work hours in Europe and 30% in the U.S. [1][2][3] This reshaping means many workers will need to adapt and potentially change careers.
However, AI also presents opportunities by automating repetitive tasks, enabling workers to focus on higher-value, strategic activities. The demand for AI expertise is rising sharply, with firms adopting AI showing trends towards employing more junior employees with advanced technical education while flattening hierarchical structures. [2][5]
Yet, the benefits of AI tend to accrue disproportionately to larger, better-resourced companies and workers with higher education and skills. This uneven distribution raises concerns about income inequality and job security. [5]
Politically, the rapid pace of AI adoption necessitates significant policy focus on retraining and upskilling workers to maintain employability in an AI-driven economy. Labour market regulation, social safety nets, and global competitiveness are at the forefront of political debates. [1][4][5]
As AI potentially renders many human jobs obsolete, ethical issues, human dignity, and the preservation of roles inherently tied to human connection, trust, and ethical complexity come to the fore. [4]
The world's largest tech companies, including Google, Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI, are focusing on creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which could further exacerbate these trends. [6] Debates about existential risk should proceed with urgency to match the speed of technological development.
The consequences of AI and automation are expected to be profound, affecting not only the working class but also the middle class. Actors in Hollywood have expressed concerns about the use of Generative AI, particularly regarding equitable remuneration for digital representations of real people and potential redundancy due to realistic avatars. [7]
In response, societies are proposing innovative solutions such as an Australian Institute of Applied Ethics to increase our ethical capacity to face the challenges of tomorrow. [8] Optimists believe that technological innovation leads to an increase in employment opportunities, while pessimists fear it could displace millions of people from paid employment. [9]
The decline in tax revenue from labor could impact Australia's ability to fund essential government services, leading to discussions about taxing automated systems, increasing corporate taxes, broadening the consumption tax, or introducing a Universal Basic Income. [10]
The conversation about the kind of new society we might need to build in the face of AI and automation is missing from political discourse, media, and public conversation. It is time to awaken our imaginations and for leaders to draw us into a conversation about whom we might become in a future society dominated by AI and automation.
Looking back at history, societies have thrived without traditional jobs. The Indigenous peoples of Australia lived rich and meaningful lives, while Ancient Athens experienced deep satisfaction in civic engagement, possible due to the labor of others bound by slavery. [11] Much of the work in a future society may be unpaid or supported through barter of locally grown and made products.
In conclusion, the economic and political implications of AI and robotics for the world of work are important questions that need to be addressed. As we navigate this technological transformation, balancing job displacement with innovation-driven growth will be crucial. Emphasizing education, workforce flexibility, and equitable distribution of AI's benefits will be key to managing these implications.
- The rising demand for AI expertise and the flattening of hierarchical structures in firms adopting AI could create new opportunities in the job market, but the benefits tend to favor larger, better-resourced companies and workers with higher education and skills, raising concerns about income inequality and job security.
- The uneven distribution of AI benefits and the potential displacement of jobs by automation have sparked ethical discussions concerning human dignity, the preservation of roles tied to human connection, trust, and ethical complexity in a world increasingly dominated by AI and technology.
- The rapidly advancing field of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has policymakers, workers, and society at large questioning the impact on employment, income inequality, and potential existential risks, calling for meaningful discussions about the kind of new society we might need to build in light of AI's profound, transformative effects on work and employment.
