Both the industrial and computer revolutions created a great deal of contemporary concern about massive unemployment, but these concerns never materialized beyond a few initial rough spots. Will the AI revolution prove equally problem-free? Probably not. Dangers lie ahead and will test the strength of our institutions as well as our technologists. The possibly massive job loss is the most tangible consequence; it would affect the greatest number of people. Smart robots keep replacing factory and warehouse workers and are showing up in service industries (e.g., self-checkout in supermarkets). AI’s machine learning and algorithms are industrializing much higher-skilled “artisanal” activity (e.g., interpreting x-rays, once thought invulnerable to automation). Nobody has good answers, but ideas like those explored in this Advisor are taking shape.
Advisor
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