The return of the Luddites: AI and the future of work

Challenges in the face of the artificial intelligence revolution

In 1811, in George III's England, specifically in Nottingham, numerous textile workers (mostly skilled artisans in the weaving tasks) began to break into the primitive textile factories of the time to destroy automated looms and knitting frames. These workers have been named Luddites, supposedly after a machine wrecker named Ned Ludd, whose existence lacks unequivocal evidence. The Luddites burned down some factories and smashed their machines, even violently clashing with law enforcement.

Today, by extension, we use the term Luddite to refer to people who resist the use of technologies, believing they have a negative impact on people's way of life.

Now, parallel to the explosion of artificial intelligence, the Luddites are reemerging. These new Luddites are concerned about the potential negative consequences of AI and are actively opposing its adoption, calling for a moratorium on its advancements. Interestingly and paradoxically, this time, the Luddites are not irate manual laborers but some of the leading digitalization experts who fear that AI might get out of control.

Challenges and resistance in the era of artificial intelligence

Critics of AI argue that machines will never match human creativity, empathy, and intuition, and that large-scale automation could lead to increased inequality and social exclusion. Additionally, there are fears that AI systems could be used to make biased or unfair decisions, and that data collected by AI companies could be used for control and manipulation.

Some of the new Luddites are actively fighting against AI through protest and political action. Privacy and online freedom advocacy groups have emerged, demanding stricter regulations on AI and the protection of personal data. Others are working to develop technologies that are more transparent and fair, or even put control in the hands of users.

Finally, with maximum media coverage, manifestos have been created to call for a freeze on advances in artificial intelligence and a reflection on the rules of the AI game. Surely, the key reflection is: Who benefits from automation? What risks does it pose? And who should bear its costs?

The inevitable automation and its impact on society: Challenges and solutions

Automation is unstoppable and will have a profound social impact. This is the unpleasant, uncomfortable truth that our politicians don't want us to think about and for which they have no plan. It will be the market, the economy, that will make this situation an indisputable truth. Digital era businesses will need less personnel.

In other words, we are going to experience downward pressure on the need for human capital, so the number of people required per unit of GDP will decrease. Just as the Industrial Revolution made many of the jobs our great-grandparents relied on obsolete, the Digital Revolution and hyper-automation will make many of our occupations redundant for our children.

The difference is that the process that previously took more than a century will likely become a reality in a few decades. The second difference is that before, it primarily affected manual jobs, while hyper-automation will impact not only industrial jobs but also service jobs and knowledge workers.

The challenge is to ensure that the benefits of automation benefit society by covering the costs of job loss. To achieve this, it is necessary to design a new welfare state model and redefine the role of employment in the economy, along with fiscal mechanisms to finance them. Mechanisms such as universal basic income can help mitigate some of the social risks and serve as a means for redistributing the wealth generated by machines.

But not only do we have to implement a minimum income. We have to reinvent the education system. The current system is designed for the industrial era, where jobs were reasonably stable: people undergo education for a period of 8 to 15 years, work for 50-60 years, and retire for 10-20 years. This life model is entirely inadequate for the hyper-digital society.

It is essential to introduce education as an essential part of people's productive period. Workers will need to change professions two, three, or five times during that period. Additionally, employees will have to work more years to cover those training periods and limit the retirement period, expanded by the increase in life expectancy.

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the perspective, automation is inevitable. The reason is simple: automation reduces costs, and companies love to cut costs. In reality, automation brings other benefits such as error reduction and improved quality, aspects that also provide undeniable value.

We are going to witness exponential automation that will replace human labor with machines. We have to be fully aware of this. It doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. It means we will have to redesign society to adapt to this reality. Work will define us as individuals to a lesser extent than it has since the Industrial Revolution.

Ultimately, AI is a tool that can be used for good or for ill, and it is the responsibility of users and developers to ensure that it is used ethically and responsibly. While it's important to be aware of the potential risks and downsides of AI, it's also crucial not to be swayed by fear and blind opposition. With proper debate and regulation, AI can be a positive force in our lives and in society as a whole.

Want to learn more? We can offer a training seminar on artificial intelligence and Chat GPT for your company.