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What will happen when the AI bubble bursts? (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] 1 point 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

I forgot that the US is a dystopian hellscape where many people work what would have been a college summer job a couple of decades ago just to get by, my bad.

Sarcasm aside

That was supposed to be sarcastic? Because that's the reality for MANY people in America. If you don't see it happening around you in your life, good for you, things are going well for you. But we are in a K-shaped economy, and a lot of people are on that lower rung, and those are the people that are going to get hit worst by AI.

Great, so in your scenario, things will still be great because people can always clean up busted milk jigs, and watch for shoplifters (both of which could be easily automated, by the way)? And that sounds like a reasonable job environment to you? Don't worry about AI taking your job, you can always get a minimum wage job guarding the rich guy's stuff, at least until they perfect the Slaughterbots to replace you. Nice career, you should get those $120k student loans for your software development degree paid off in no time.

And they'll use the pizza vending machine, if they want a pizza, or any other fast food, because they'll ALL be fully automated. The building itself will be the vending machine. Autonomous trucks will be loaded by robots at a robotic warehouse, driven to the locations and unloaded by robots, then cooked and served by robots. The entire process from end to end can be done without a single human touching it, with the technology they have RIGHT NOW.

It's only a matter of time before it's perfected and launched. Dismissing an obvious societal trend because it is inconvenient is a very American trait, and it has gotten us to where we are now. How about we start seeing the actual future that is looming in front of us, and stop pretending it's not there? AI is coming, and the manner in which businesses are already deploying it is already losing jobs, just in anticipation of losing even more jobs.

Replacing as many human-powered the is the express purpose of AI by nearly every corporate entity. Stop pretending that it isn't.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago* (1 child)

    Sorry, there must have been a couple of misunderstandings.

    That was supposed to be sarcastic

    Sarcasm probably isnt the correct word. More like "cynic statement with no contribution to the debate". I know full well that the US is a shit show, and I am scared shitless that they export their "new" culture to the whole world.

    Great, so in your scenario, things will still be great

    No. In my opening statement, I clearly said that people will suffer. People are suffering already. More than once, people in my family tree had to suffer through their job being replaced by automation and economic forces.

    with the technology they have RIGHT NOW.

    Now, this is the point where I disagree: if it is possible with today's tech, why is it not happening? Why is automation limited to repeatetive tasks and stuff like self checkout?

    Either companies aren't as greedy (unlikely), or the tech isnt quite there yet.

    Replacing as many human-powered the is the express purpose of AI by nearly every corporate entity. Stop pretending that it isn’t.

    I don't. Public corporations are, by definition, legally required to be greedy, soulless machines. Salary is one of the biggest, if not the biggest single cost item for most service companies.

    However, many of the people trying to convince us that "AI" is there and inevitable are those that conveniently have an interest in selling AI.

    I am scared of the societal effects of so-called AI, don't get me wrong. But not because it will replace "all jobs". Will it eliminate some jobs? Probably. Are the current prognoses overhyped? IMHO, also likely.

    Besides, many issues with today's society (especially in the US) have nothing to do with AI, like exploited "gig workers", lack of social security, ridiculously expensive costs of (bad) education, and not enough people being held accountable for their actions if they are rich. None of those need AI, but AI surely doesn't help either.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

    Now, this is the point where I disagree: if it is possible with today's tech, why is it not happening? Why is automation limited to repeatetive tasks and stuff like self checkout?

    They have the tech right now. My local news even ran a little disguised Chipotle PR video showing their new robotic burrito bowl machine, as the news anchors oohed and aahed over what was essentially a propaganda ad.

    So Chipotle already has it, and every other fast food outlet is either working on it, or has it - and has for a long time. They've been salivating for this moment for decades. There are only two things holding it up:

    1. The tech isn't quite ready: It is, but it it isn't. It's ready to be fully tested on the public, and that's when it will finally get fully perfected. They've gone as far as they can without actually installing it. Now they need real world scenarios.

    2. It will be a PR nightmare. The first fast food chain to announce a fully robotic store is going to get savaged, including a massive national boycott, one that I will happily join. But once one company does it, and the dust settles a bit, the others will do it, too.

    The next stage will be when someone announces that their entire company will be mostly automated, probably a fast food operation again. That will result in an even stronger boycott that may even bankrupt the company. It will certainly take a serious hit, but someone will make the calculation that the short-term PR risk is worth the long-term profits.

    We are in the calm before the storm. We can see it on the horizon, and we can see how big and ferocious it will be. The job environment after the full implementation of AI, is going to get really bad. Saying that it won't be so bad, that the approaching maelstrom won't kill EVERYBODY, isn't comforting.

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