The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly
Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders don’t agree on much. But both think that AI is a disaster for the working class. The Vermont senator recently wrote that “AI oligarchs do not want to just replace specific jobs. They want to replace workers.” Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, made similar comments last week: Silicon Valley does “not care about the little guy,” he said in a podcast episode titled “Stopping the AI Oligarchs From Stealing Humanity.” This emergent “Bernie-to-Bannon” coalition points to the growing bipartisan anxiety over AI. In polls, the United States ranks among the countries most concerned about AI. America is both the world’s foremost developer of AI and its chief hater.Recently, Maine passed the country’s first statewide data-center moratorium (though the bill was vetoed by the governor). Nationally, a record number of proposed projects were canceled in the first quarter of this year following local pushback. Meanwhile, in extreme cases, concerns about AI appear to be tipping into violence. In April, someone shot 13 rounds at an Indianapolis councilman’s house and left a note under his doormat: “NO DATA CENTERS,” it read. Days later, a man threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home before heading to OpenAI’s headquarters, where he allegedly threatened to burn down the building and kill anyone inside. (The man has since pleaded not guilty to several charges, including attempted murder.) Social-media posts applauding the attack racked up thousands of likes: “I hope that Molotov is okay!” wrote one commenter.
All of this may be only the start. The AI industry has spent recent years warning of a jobless future. So far, narratives about labor displacement have been largely speculation. While a smattering of tech executives have attributed job cuts to AI, many analysts have accused these CEOs of “AI-washing”—essentially, using the technology as a scapegoat for roles they would have eliminated regardless. If anything, AI has mostly been a financial boon for the country, buoying the stock market and driving growth. But that could all change, of course. Imagine the uproar if jobs across the economy truly start disappearing en masse.
The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly
Imagine what happens if jobs actually start disappearing.Lila Shroff (The Atlantic)
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James R Kirk
in reply to Powderhorn • • •Glad the subheader is "Imagine what happens if jobs actually start disappearing."
There's just still not a lot of evidence that LLMs could take a substantial number of jobs away, unless your job is spam, advertising or propaganda. Corporations are blaming AI but there just isn't the evidence to support the idea that those fired workers are anything other than normal downsizing (that conveniently help fit the narrative and boost the stock price).
IF an AI gets invented that actually begins making humans unemployable, the economy as it exists wouldn't be able to withstand it ...who would pay for things if there are no jobs? Why provide goods and services for money if nobody can pay for it? Even being a billionare would be pointless because if everyone else's economic value is zero they can't be compelled to do anything with your worthless slop money.
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pageflight
in reply to James R Kirk • • •I think your argument depends on rational leadership with a horizon more than a couple years out and grounded in tangible value delivered.
My read of the situation is that leadership is motivated by short term gains and FOMO, and a substantial part of the US economy is disguised garbage production, so replacing many jobs with AI will increase profits without obviously damaging corporations for a couple years.
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Sanguine
in reply to James R Kirk • • •This assumes they have any intention on keeping us alive. Everyone has had the thought of what it would be like to inhabit the earth alone. Taken to its conclusion most would have a few compelling reasons in both the pros/cons category. For most people the lack of companionship, other folks to enjoy life with, lack of music / film / other art would be a significant draw back. The empty roads, beaches, not having to work / deal with money would be fun, but maybe not worth the rest. On top of all that, it's simply a thought experiment, a fantasy, none of us would ever really want nor have the means to enact.
Billionaires don't have the same constraints about means, already don't need us for anything other than service, and until recently, to enjoy our artistic contributions. My tinfoil hat take is that they started on the generative AI for arts a safe starting point that also secures they'll have access to music / art / media once they start ramping up domination.
Kissaki
in reply to Sanguine • • •Sanguine
in reply to Kissaki • • •harmbugler
in reply to Sanguine • • •Kichae
in reply to James R Kirk • • •No, no. There's little evidence that LLMs could do your job. That's very different from the LLMs "taking" your job. All business owners need is the belief -- grounded or not -- that the LLMs will eventually be able to do your job, and for way less than you were being paid.
Neither will be true, of course, but business decisions are not based on truth.
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reksas
in reply to James R Kirk • • •masterofn001
in reply to Powderhorn • • •They don't just want to replace jobs or workers.
They want to replace humans.
Tesla isn't building humanoid ai robots (optimus) for me or you.
Peter Thiel and the Bilderbergs have had depopulation on their agenda for a few years.
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Nighed
in reply to masterofn001 • • •Didn't Tesla have to give up on a robot that puts some felt on top of the battery pack because they just couldn't do it?
Making the robots look human doesn't solve that.
DeckPacker
in reply to Powderhorn • • •Steve Bannon says this? Sorry for being cynical, but I don't by anything that Trump's goons say.
What most people need to understand is that a lot of politicians don't believe in anything, except serving the interests of their donors.
Just like they didn't do anything about the "deep state" or the prices of eggs, they will never even consider doing anything that threatens Nvidia or OpenAI.
It's nice that the political discourse is shifting, but don't expect anyone who is currently in power to help you in this fight
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Aralakh
in reply to Powderhorn • • •like this
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LukeZaz
in reply to Powderhorn • • •Gosh, speak for the billionaires, why don't you? My finances, and the finances of everyone I know, have most certainly not seen any improvement. If anything, it's getting actively worse, in ways that this very article acknowledges. All for a technology none of us want. And yet the writer still feels the need to pretend things are good because the S&P 500's doing well, as if that means shit fuck all for the rest of us. Go figure that as usual "the economy is doing great" is shorthand for "wealth inequality is going up."
I'm sick and tired of hearing this misleading concept, so I'm going to vent for a second: Most people do not have large stock market investments! They are too busy paying rent! What's good for the rich isn't what's good for me, and I do not fucking care about the goddamn NASDAQ!
ETA: oh by the way if Steve Bannon says he agrees with something good, maybe consider not believing him
its_me_xiphos
in reply to LukeZaz • • •I have an internal morality, economy, and democracy check:
Does Steve Bannon, Steve Miller, or Russell Vought think it's a good idea? If yes, it's terrible and will hurt everything and everyone but them.
LukeZaz
in reply to its_me_xiphos • • •FaceDeer
in reply to Powderhorn • • •Of the 24 stories currently on my front page for this community, 13 of them are stories about how AI is awful in some way or another.
Social media excels at creating bubbles. I'm not sure whether this "backlash" is really all that widespread.
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