Since I was young, there has been a looming fear that technology would be taking over jobs. This subject is one that I even remember being alluded to in television TV shows, with the titular characters of Nickelodeon show Sam and Cat often going to a restaurant with robot serving staff. With the emergence of electronic ordering stations at fast food eateries and ChatGPT, there has been a new question of technology taking jobs from us. Of course, the recent pandemic added to this by necessarily expediting many of the technological investments by companies as places started to open up again. But, how big of a threat are robots to take over our jobs? Well, it’s complicated.

Of the jobs that could be taken over by AI, they are mostly white collar, middle-high level jobs as opposed to more skill-based blue collar jobs. Certain tech jobs are on the chopping block simply due to their nature, along with marketing/advertising positions also threatened as algorithms overtake the traditional targeted ad methods. Interestingly enough, according to Business Insider authors Mok and Zinkula, law jobs are already being taken over by AI technology which greatly shortens the brief information taking process. In addition, many jobs in the financial sector like accountants, stock traders, and financial analysts are being replaced by technological systems as they become more advanced/accurate. And as I mentioned in the last article, Customer Service jobs are quickly being replaced by AI systems like akin to ChatGPT. Of course, there is no denying that these job losses are real concerns, but perhaps there is a big silver lining in the midst of the AI threat: the jobs this new technology already has and will create.

Business Insider’s Paris Marx stresses that many of the concerns about robots, AI, and technology taking over jobs come from missing context. A 2014 analysis showed that AI could wipe 47% of jobs by 2034, but nearly a decade later those job cuts are not widely seen, especially in the ways predicted. In a more recent study from 2020, research has shown that while these new technologies will cut about 85 million jobs by 2025, it will also create 97 million new jobs. The important context of the matter is that behind the curtain of all this technological change, there are tons of people making it all work. A big space right now, the electric self-driving car industry, threatened to take the jobs of drivers yet it created millions of jobs in the tech sector to monitor this new technology. Parx also notes that many of the technological investments  by businesses are actually meant to be used as an enhancement/compliment to the jobs of many, not a replacement.

AI’s usage is often credited as efficiency in businesses and while that may be true, there is also a reality that these systems often act as a necessary middle man in many situations. As we saw with record low unemployment emerging out of the pandemic, many public places were understaffed and AI technology was used to fill an emerging gap. From a customer standpoint, for many who are savvy with technology many of these technologies like electronic order systems gave a well-appreciated convenience along with the ability to limit contact with others during the height of the pandemic. Parx stresses that AI is meant to help employees and customers, as technology has done since the beginning of time. This new advancement in technology is aimed at empowerment and liberation for employees and customers in order to save us time and increase productivity.

This technology undoubtedly also has many capabilities which are revolutionary. Readwrite.com author Daniel Williams writes that as those in the Baby Boomer generation retire earlier, there is a need by companies to figure out how to best take advantage of this new AI technology in order to replace many of the skills that have left the labor force. Things like drywall installation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work can be done faster, on a larger scale, and more precisely than traditional labor in this space in certain instances. As mentioned before, this technology is not meant to replace these positions but simply enhance them. AI technology is becoming more creative and precise, which can fill a large gap being created as less people attend trade schooling. In his opinion, AI is in no way meant to directly replace human labor.

But, as this technology enhances jobs all throughout the labor force, a new question that has emerged: Will this technology increase the wealth gap? As I mentioned earlier, AI and like technology has created many new, high paying jobs in the tech industry, with 97 million new jobs created by 2025. The Guardian author Steven Greenhouse points out that while fears about AI taking over are likely overblown, there is a real threat that this technology could increase the wealth gap. McKinley global has estimated that 1/4 of workers will see AI incorporated in some aspect of their job. Greenhouse mentions that 50-60% of companies have AI projects in the works which aim to take over many aspects of the higher middle class. While blue collar jobs are not as threatened, white collar jobs may see cuts simply due to these AI enhancements. This will lead to a big gap between those in the high-paying tech sphere & above and those in lower-class skill-based positions. In addition, the jobs that are left are likely to become very commodified as AI enhances jobs.

I think the main thing that could be taken away from this AI threat is the realization that this is simply technological progression. Since our world’s beginning, people’s jobs have changed, merged, and adapted as technology has progressed to make life easier and innovation possible. There is definitely excitement when it comes to this space as I think recently there has been a new understanding that AI technology could send us down a million different paths, instead of what was originally thought of as the inevitable, scary one. AI, robots, machinery, and the like have so many possibilities to change society and our jobs as we know them. Will that happen?-it’s complicated.

References

Greenhouse, Steve. “US Experts Warn AI Likely to Kill off Jobs – and Widen Wealth Inequality.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/08/ai-chatgpt-jobs-economy-inequality.

Marx, Paris. “Artificial Intelligence’s Dirty Secret.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 12 Feb. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-ai-will-not-take-jobs-create-future-work-opportunities-2023-2.

Mok, Aaron, and Jacob Zinkula. “Chatgpt May Be Coming for Our Jobs. Here Are the 10 Roles That AI Is Most Likely to Replace.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-jobs-at-risk-replacement-artificial-intelligence-ai-labor-trends-2023-02.

Williams, Daniel. “The Impact of AI as Companies Address the Skilled Labor Shortage.” ReadWrite, 6 Feb. 2023, https://readwrite.com/the-impact-of-ai-as-companies-address-the-skilled-labor-shortage/.