Very excellent article. It begs the question: So what should good government do, knowing that AI will rapidly eliminate lots and lots of jobs? We have the benefit of knowing the pros and cons of other disrupting changes. Putting them out of work, out of employer subsidized medical care, out of retirement savings? Should we send them out to the wolves, to fend for themselves? Or make sure we have some kind of social safety net, allowing displaced workers to deal with these changes while maintaining their dignity?
This article comes at the perfect time! What an incredibly insightful read; you've nailed the historical pattern perfecly. As a huge booklover, the mention of books as 'old feared tech' really made me chuckle. It's so true how work adapts and new possibilities always emerge. Brilliant!
It is not a maybe that AI is replacing jobs. I work in marketing and last year my employer cut half our team and told us to make it up with AI. Industry-wide, you can look at the marketing and advertising and related job figures - they have dropped.
So it’s hard for me personally to see the silver lining, but I’m also not going to smash any machines. It’s here and not going anywhere.
One other difference, in addition to AI being able to replace most any non-manual job and do it smarter than a human, is that it’s cutting out jobs at entry level. People who could start out doing grunt work, so to speak, so that they can learn the trade and industry, no longer have as many options. I have some hope that I might be able to ride it out by learning to use it a manage the output, because I have experience. But what are new people going to do?
This is an excellent article and I’d like to see it published other places as well, have you thought of submitting it??
In the town of Sabot, in France, during the Middle Ages, the peasants and guild workers threw their wooden shoes and metal tools and farm implements into the new machines that had been developed, effectively clogging up the gears, and breaking most of the machines. This was done in an effort to protect their livelihoods to keep the new machines from taking their jobs away. Hence here, in Sabot, the term "sabotage" was created. I remember the investing frenzy over the internet, and anything with a dot-com in the name, during the tech bubble in 1998-99. This ended abruptly in the tech wreck in the Spring of 2000. The AI bubble, and the stock market, will also crash most probably next year in 2026. The timing would be perfect maybe around September just before the mid-term elections. The result is always the same. FDR after Hoover. Carter after Nixon/Ford. Clinton after Reagan/Bush Senior. Obama after Bush Junior. Biden after Trump. Democrat after Republican to clean-up the mess that Republicans make. And WHAT A MESS we now are having!
This is so beautifully written that I must conclude you have help? Or that perhaps serving in Congress will destroy you? So much day-to-day fund seeking and etc. seems a necessary & soul wrecking part of the job. When will you write?
Very excellent article. It begs the question: So what should good government do, knowing that AI will rapidly eliminate lots and lots of jobs? We have the benefit of knowing the pros and cons of other disrupting changes. Putting them out of work, out of employer subsidized medical care, out of retirement savings? Should we send them out to the wolves, to fend for themselves? Or make sure we have some kind of social safety net, allowing displaced workers to deal with these changes while maintaining their dignity?
Thank you Bill. That is a good question. I will write a follow up maybe in a couple weeks. In the meantime, please give me your suggestions.
This article comes at the perfect time! What an incredibly insightful read; you've nailed the historical pattern perfecly. As a huge booklover, the mention of books as 'old feared tech' really made me chuckle. It's so true how work adapts and new possibilities always emerge. Brilliant!
Thank you
It is not a maybe that AI is replacing jobs. I work in marketing and last year my employer cut half our team and told us to make it up with AI. Industry-wide, you can look at the marketing and advertising and related job figures - they have dropped.
So it’s hard for me personally to see the silver lining, but I’m also not going to smash any machines. It’s here and not going anywhere.
One other difference, in addition to AI being able to replace most any non-manual job and do it smarter than a human, is that it’s cutting out jobs at entry level. People who could start out doing grunt work, so to speak, so that they can learn the trade and industry, no longer have as many options. I have some hope that I might be able to ride it out by learning to use it a manage the output, because I have experience. But what are new people going to do?
This is an excellent article and I’d like to see it published other places as well, have you thought of submitting it??
Thank you. I have not thought about submitting it anywhere. IF you have any suggestions or would like to submit for me then please feel free.
In the town of Sabot, in France, during the Middle Ages, the peasants and guild workers threw their wooden shoes and metal tools and farm implements into the new machines that had been developed, effectively clogging up the gears, and breaking most of the machines. This was done in an effort to protect their livelihoods to keep the new machines from taking their jobs away. Hence here, in Sabot, the term "sabotage" was created. I remember the investing frenzy over the internet, and anything with a dot-com in the name, during the tech bubble in 1998-99. This ended abruptly in the tech wreck in the Spring of 2000. The AI bubble, and the stock market, will also crash most probably next year in 2026. The timing would be perfect maybe around September just before the mid-term elections. The result is always the same. FDR after Hoover. Carter after Nixon/Ford. Clinton after Reagan/Bush Senior. Obama after Bush Junior. Biden after Trump. Democrat after Republican to clean-up the mess that Republicans make. And WHAT A MESS we now are having!
Very interesting. I actually did hear that about Sabot.
The only problem with all your examples is that none of them were smarter than me. All in for ANI but, ASI will break the bank. Sorry.
I did think about that and feel like there should be a part 2 exploring the difference in thinking machines and other inventions.
I look forward to it. Dang technology.
This is so beautifully written that I must conclude you have help? Or that perhaps serving in Congress will destroy you? So much day-to-day fund seeking and etc. seems a necessary & soul wrecking part of the job. When will you write?
Hi Laura. I do not have a staff if that is what you are asking. That you for your compliments
He’s using AI ;) An example of practicing what he’s talking about in this article.
Good possibility I guess.
I look forward to it.