Thank you, Brian, for your thoughtful post about this topic, and for the further research and writing you will be doing about it. Pls also consider including research on, and covering, the blitz of industry corporations and individuals who are acting as PR behind AI -- those who are trying to convince the masses that AI is good for humanity, and "just get on board" or you'll miss out out on innovation, the future as it's supposed to be, etc. It's a powerful force that is making a lot of people just give up and give in.
I'm commenting even though none of the above apply to me--I'm a homesteader, no threat of AI horning in on that since there's no money in it. My comment is that the threat to jobs is not my top concern about AI; There are two others--surveillance, of workers, yes, but also of all of us all the time everywhere. And, the fact that AI is not intelligent and can't really do creative work--it can only plagiarize, blending what it steals from multiple sources so it can't be legally charged. It also can't do less creative work as well as the humans it replaces, which will have myriad harmful effects on the people who rely on what humans are now doing. It can't exercise judgement. So a hundred things will become more difficult, more frustrating, less efficient and effective, less pleasurable for virtually all of us. But the people making the decisions SIMPLY DON"T CARE. Billionaires don't depend on any of it--if airports are more dangerous, well, they're flying in private jets; if Social Security becomes riddled with errors and it gets to be a nightmare to try to sign up for it, it will have no effect on them, since their SS earnings are a tiny pittance compared to their stashed wealth. If their data centers and cryptocurrency raise the use of fossil fuels and thus speed catastrophic climate change, well yes that WILL affect them but they think they're going to migrate to sunny Mars or download into an android or some goddamn thing They may not be sure of this but the IMPORTANT thing is that they're making lots of money now. Why would people who have more money than they could spend in 20 lifetimes think making even more money is worth risking everything? because they're mentally ill, that's why. And likely part of the attraction of the Mars and similar fantasies is that they'd be enormously expensive, thus giving them a reason to work so hard at piling up ever more wealth They already own a yacht, a dozen huge homes, designer everything, a trophy wife, and several governments. What's next? They need something to get excited about.
Thank you for the work you're doing Brian. I tried but it is kind of burning me, it is robbing my peace man. So I'd rather support people like you, Paul Kingsnorth, Peco and others here. Don't give up man, and watch your back! I really hope that there will be an awakening, especially for the jaggernaut that is still in making, that is general AI. No more devastation ☠️
Thanks for this, Brian. We’re seeing the job losses of artists and coders as the Canary in the Coal Mine, which, yeah, also got replaced by a machine at some point (lucking little canary). My summation on the AI push: It’s bosses doing it bc they are scared for their own jobs – they see it as the easy panacea for increasing productivity and reducing labor costs. Same as it ever was. Just faster and with more recklessness.
I definitely think it played a part. I’m a software engineer and I worked for a software company but they laid every engineer off and now have this vibe coded AI website idk what they’re even trying to do because it won’t work without engineers.
Thank you, Brian, for your thoughtful post about this topic, and for the further research and writing you will be doing about it. Pls also consider including research on, and covering, the blitz of industry corporations and individuals who are acting as PR behind AI -- those who are trying to convince the masses that AI is good for humanity, and "just get on board" or you'll miss out out on innovation, the future as it's supposed to be, etc. It's a powerful force that is making a lot of people just give up and give in.
I'm commenting even though none of the above apply to me--I'm a homesteader, no threat of AI horning in on that since there's no money in it. My comment is that the threat to jobs is not my top concern about AI; There are two others--surveillance, of workers, yes, but also of all of us all the time everywhere. And, the fact that AI is not intelligent and can't really do creative work--it can only plagiarize, blending what it steals from multiple sources so it can't be legally charged. It also can't do less creative work as well as the humans it replaces, which will have myriad harmful effects on the people who rely on what humans are now doing. It can't exercise judgement. So a hundred things will become more difficult, more frustrating, less efficient and effective, less pleasurable for virtually all of us. But the people making the decisions SIMPLY DON"T CARE. Billionaires don't depend on any of it--if airports are more dangerous, well, they're flying in private jets; if Social Security becomes riddled with errors and it gets to be a nightmare to try to sign up for it, it will have no effect on them, since their SS earnings are a tiny pittance compared to their stashed wealth. If their data centers and cryptocurrency raise the use of fossil fuels and thus speed catastrophic climate change, well yes that WILL affect them but they think they're going to migrate to sunny Mars or download into an android or some goddamn thing They may not be sure of this but the IMPORTANT thing is that they're making lots of money now. Why would people who have more money than they could spend in 20 lifetimes think making even more money is worth risking everything? because they're mentally ill, that's why. And likely part of the attraction of the Mars and similar fantasies is that they'd be enormously expensive, thus giving them a reason to work so hard at piling up ever more wealth They already own a yacht, a dozen huge homes, designer everything, a trophy wife, and several governments. What's next? They need something to get excited about.
Thank you for the work you're doing Brian. I tried but it is kind of burning me, it is robbing my peace man. So I'd rather support people like you, Paul Kingsnorth, Peco and others here. Don't give up man, and watch your back! I really hope that there will be an awakening, especially for the jaggernaut that is still in making, that is general AI. No more devastation ☠️
Thanks for this, Brian. We’re seeing the job losses of artists and coders as the Canary in the Coal Mine, which, yeah, also got replaced by a machine at some point (lucking little canary). My summation on the AI push: It’s bosses doing it bc they are scared for their own jobs – they see it as the easy panacea for increasing productivity and reducing labor costs. Same as it ever was. Just faster and with more recklessness.
I definitely think it played a part. I’m a software engineer and I worked for a software company but they laid every engineer off and now have this vibe coded AI website idk what they’re even trying to do because it won’t work without engineers.