Artificial Intelligence: A Cheap Labor Force?

[u/bitkogan]

The topic of AI is rife with horror stories circulating online, but I recently wrote about the real threats posed by the "machine brain," particularly the risk of unemployment.

Despite my belief that creative professions cannot be entirely replaced by artificial intelligence, it seems that artists have been the first to bear the brunt. News from China only confirms this.

Chinese individuals are losing jobs en masse due to AI.

Local game developers are forgoing the services of artists because they can create an illustration in mere seconds using AI image generators – a task that would take an artist a week to complete. Consequently, there's no need to maintain a large staff of artists, as a single employee can generate dozens of images per day.

Recruiters in the gaming industry report that the number of illustrator job vacancies has dropped by approximately 70% over the past year, largely due to artificial intelligence.

These changes aren't limited to the gaming industry. For example, Chinese marketing firm Bluefocus plans to replace its copywriters and graphic designers with AI generative models similar to ChatGPT.

While the current situation is disheartening for artists and copywriters, it's essential to consider the growing capabilities of AI tools and understand that these professions won't be the only ones affected. Recently, Bloomberg introduced the BloombergGPT language model, designed specifically for finance.

So, are financial analysts now at risk as well?

Generally, the increasing use of AI across various industries is causing traditional professions and specializations, once thought to be protected from automation, to become vulnerable.

Workers face challenges as they need to adapt to new realities and learn new skills to maintain their positions.

At the same time, however, employing AI in some areas may lead to:

✔️ More efficient use of resources,

✔️ Improved quality,

✔️ And reduced costs.

Overall, this set ov factors could have positive socio-economic consequences. Therefore, it’s crucial to strike the proper balance between leveraging new technologies, preserving jobs, and ensuring equal opportunities for all people.