AI and the Value of Work

I was asked today about my greatest concerns for the future. Climate change is obvious and urgent, but there's another future concern I have that is equally urgent. Artificial Intelligence.

In recent weeks, we've all seen some of the new capabilities of artificial intelligence to both create interesting images (Lensa), and to respond accurately in conversations with humans to answer increasingly complex questions ( ChatGPT ). More applications like these come to market every day, and the greatest concern I have about this is the long-term impact tools like this will have on economies as more and more human labor is replaced by machines.

This isn't a new concern, but the urgency surrounding this technological revolution is one that will affect more sectors of labor than any other, including creative industries, medicine, law, and business.

Human labor is one of the fundamental ways we participate in the economy. If this ability to participate is removed from even as much as 10 percent of the labor force (a conservative estimate) what then will happen to the value of currency, the value of goods and services, and our ability to exchange?

Additionally, I wonder what impact such a shift will have on the freedoms and sovereignty of individuals. As we become more dependent on technology, how much of our political will is usurped?

I have no answers to these questions and not a lot of hope for a peaceful transition. As I say in the video, I think we may be painting ourselves into a corner. I welcome any and all viewpoints that might challenge what I'm imagining.

#artificialintelligence #labor #economics