The rise of generative AI, such as chatbots and image generators, is shaking up the technology industry, with many companies diving headlong into the technology and designing new artificial intelligence tools, with executives fearing that the advances will revolutionize the world. It promises investors that it will help them earn a lot of profit. of money. Longstanding concerns that AI will take jobs away from humans have taken on added urgency as lawmakers debate how to legislate the technology.
Some people who write for a living have already lost their jobs as companies turn to chatbots for advertising and social media copy. Hollywood writers were protected from forced labor on AI-generated material last year as part of a new union contract. Many computer programmers say they can use AI to generate code and work faster. According to a study published in 2023 by the Pew Research Center, approximately 20% of U.S. employees work in jobs with “high exposure” to AI, such as tax preparers, copywriters, and web developers. That's what it means.
But overall, it's unclear how, or even if, the AI revolution will impact work. It's also unclear what exactly this new group will do.
Cisco's announcement about the group said it will focus on producing reports with “actionable insights for business leaders and employees.” It will study how AI could change jobs in 56 different technology jobs, but the announcement did not elaborate on what those jobs would be. Spokespeople for Cisco, Google, Microsoft, CWA and AFL-CIO did not respond to requests for further information about the group.
Companies often form working groups or write reports on issues facing their industry with the goal of swaying the debate in their favor. Technology companies have been among the biggest spenders on lobbying over the past decade, first as Congress sought to regulate social media and now as lawmakers focus on AI. .
Many high-tech executives have spoken publicly about “reskilling” or “upskilling” their workforces as the economy changes, essentially providing training for people to learn new skills. There is. But these companies often lay off tens of thousands of employees.
During conference panels, interviews, and earnings calls, most AI executives ignore concerns about job losses. They believe that while the technology may replace some jobs, it will vastly improve the efficiency of existing workers by removing tedious tasks such as reading long documents and organizing databases. It is claimed that it is. Google and Microsoft are touting AI in software tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Outlook that can write emails and summarize meeting notes.
