Are You Exposed to AI? Here’s How You Can Tell
Earlier this year the International Monetary Fund published an article suggesting 40% of the global workforce will be exposed to artificial intelligence.
But what does that mean exactly?
At first glance you might think that means 40% of the global workforce will be replaced by AI. While some workers will certainly be replaced, it won’t replace as many workers as you think.
At least, not initially.
The economic transition that’s currently underway will take time to fully manifest. At the societal level, most of us understand that AI is coming for our jobs. Individually, we’d like to think we have some inherent quality that makes us special.
Whether it’s length of time working for a company, a vast network of professional relationships, or intimate knowledge of a system or process, workers are looking for ways to justify their employment.
The concern with replacement, however, isn’t about individual workers. It’s the fact that the nature of economics as we know it is fundamentally changing.
Historically, human labor has been the engine of growth. New tools and technologies augmented human labor, making it more efficient. In some cases new tools reduced the need for human labor entirely.