Historian Yuval Noah Harari is one of my favorite authors. I do not always agree with his conclusions, but I respect his logic. He has made several very astute observations about human life.
He observes, "The bitter truth is that the world has simply become too complicated for our hunter-gatherer brains." As a historian he is interesting, but when he begins to project into the future, it gets fascinating and scary. He says that just as mass industrialization created the working class, the AI revolution will create a new "unworking class".
It is clear that artificial intelligence and automation will lead to significant changes in the workforce, which may result in the displacement of many jobs—particularly those that involve repetitive or routine tasks. This may lead to a new class of people who are unable to participate in the workforce—the "unworking class".
From what I see, it is the knowledge based jobs most under threat, as in the medical and legal fields. I asked Chat GTP what it thought and it gave me this list:
Manufacturing: AI and automation technologies have already transformed the manufacturing industry by improving efficiency, quality, and safety. Many routine tasks such as assembly, quality control, and inventory management can be automated using AI, which can result in job losses for human workers.
Transportation: Self-driving vehicles and other automated systems have the potential to transform the transportation industry. While this technology has the potential to improve safety and reduce costs, it may also result in job losses for drivers, dispatchers, and other related professions.
Customer service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are increasingly being used to provide customer service and support. While these systems can improve efficiency and reduce costs for businesses, they may also replace some human jobs in the customer service industry.
Healthcare: AI has the potential to transform many aspects of healthcare, such as diagnosis, treatment, and drug development. While this technology can improve healthcare outcomes, it may also have significant impacts on healthcare professionals, particularly in fields such as radiology and pathology.
Finance: AI is already being used in the finance industry for tasks such as fraud detection, risk management, and investment analysis. As this technology continues to evolve, it may lead to job losses for financial analysts, traders, and other related professions.
So what will this unworking class do? Optimists say they will pursue further education and creative endeavors. I think it more likely they will be entertained at home with video games and unless amounts of totally addictive AI generated entertainment.
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