To be utterly despondent about AI

[AnotherGreyMorning]

and our future?

Jobs becoming obsolete. People unable to earn a living.

Villains harnessing for their own ends.

It will all move far too fast and at sophisticated levels for even the most dedicated to manage.

Governments will be stunned by it. People will really suffer.

I just feel quiet dread because whilst life will be great for the wealthy and those who are protected, for the vast majority, I think it will be hellish.

On a regular basis *

Are you an AI expert? Do you know how AI works? AI cannot replace experience, it simply simulates intelligence by processing data. You're acting like it's the rise of the cylons here.

Anybody who refuses to embrace technological innovation gets left behind, it's always been that way. Why are you so incapable of learning a new skill and why shouldn't someone who is, replace you? I retrained for the job I have now. I upskill every single day to get better and learn more. During my work day, if I'm not working on delivering something I'm learning something new. Why should those who do nothing just keep their jobs indefinitely? I don't see why any employer would want to keep someone like that, regardless of whether or not AI was in the picture.

Of course AIs can replace experience. They can process billions of experiences, apply context and make an appropriate decision. Some are a bit flaky on that right now, others are good in a specialised field. They'll continue to get better very fast.

"Simply simulates intelligence by processing data". That's what intelligence is! The intelligent mind acquires knowledge, applies it and experiments with it. AIs do all that. I agree they don't yet reason very well. They will: reason is a synthesis of knowledge.

I have no capabilities - including my creative work - that machines couldn't have, other than bodily experiences. They aren't doing everything I do because such development isn't currently economic. They'll teach themselves to be creative in the arts, though, as they already have done in maths and some medical fields.

Have you ever tasked the AI you use so expertly to estimate when an AI will be able to completely replace you?

I recently did a cider factory tour, the enormous warehouse has a rail network of robot run forklifts that sort hundred and thousands of cans of cider into the stacks to go to the major retailers, it also wraps them and loads them on to pallets, I didn’t see one human! The factory is also all robots. 6 engineers run the 2 sites, 2 of which attend from elsewhere when needed- they can produce 30k cans an hour!! It’s so efficient the factory closes as the 4 engineers work office hours mon- Fri! Of course I assume they have cleaners in at night, but the factory line is all robots.

There are lots of other staff on the old site working on vintage ciders, in the orchards etc but the new site was seriously impressive but also shocking!

AI is going to replace jobs en masse. It's already happening.

I'm not 'complaining' about anything. I'm simply pointing out the reality.

You and others have spoken about all these 'new jobs which are going to be created'. Can you give examples? Since AI can already do the work of several humans and is improving all the time, there will need to be a lot of 'new jobs' to come anything close to replacing those which will be lost. Where exactly do you think these jobs will be found?

I’m worried about job losses. It’s already happening.
I also worry about political misinformation being generated that is so convincing and how criminals will use AI.

Iced rule. Completely agree. As some one whose daughter is a creative I've seen amazing people only a decade over with amazing talent and a successful business and experience having to retrain as teachers or take low paid jobs. One's a nail tech She is an amazing artist. Wasted in that industry as she has no time to do nail art. The Salon just wants basic in out money money money.

Eventually there will be a tipping point when no one can afford a nail tech or a plumber or a carpenter.

Then they are affected too.

I guess your daughter just needs to 'embrace' AI a bit more.🙁

Survival bias. History is littered with technical innovations that turned out to be crap and got dropped. Research from MIT shows 95% of AI-led workplace projects are failing, not to mention the vast financial bubble that shows signs of popping. In my sector people are using their AI-free status as a USP.

It may not do so yet, but surely that's what AGI and especially ASI will be doing, if they succeed? I'm not sure that you'll be in the picture for very long once that happens.

I'll be fine, thanks 😊

If anyone really wants their melon twisted, I've just come across a YouTube video by Loey Lane, who delves into the weirder side of Tik Tok etc, and it's about what can be best desribed as an ARG (alternate reality "game") where a real guy is documenting his alleged experience working for a company that is entirely run by AI.

Obviously I stress this is fictional, however, this concept is remarkably believable - the "company" is called "Brainrot Research" and if you have an ounce of imagination, you'll see where I'm coming from.

I refuse to downliad TikTok on principle, bit the clips Loey is showing are quite fascinating and somewhat chilling.....

Slightly off topic on jobs but I keep getting a really disturbing advert while playing a game I play on my phone. It's just a puzzle game. Nothing weird

Anyway the advert is alarming. Features young AI generated girls they are very realistic but have that too perfect AI look.
They are approx 16 yo looks wise Very young and dancing very sexually and sitting with legs apart. It's outrageous.

This is very worrisome for the future as they are not real so are the advertisers subject to any rules and regulations there? A whole new can of worms.

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/09/jobs-ai-will-create/

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/05/jobs-ai-cant-replace/

Yet.

But that's still not an answer to my question. There may be some jobs that AI can't currently replace. But that is not what I asked. I asked what new jobs are going to be 'created' by AI. Because I can't imagine it will come anywhere close to the jobs which will be and are being lost.

Also the quality of jobs. Babysitting a machine and trying to infuse quality into shitty AI slop stolen from my own IP, rather than just do the job properly myself? Fuck no.

I think AI used well within a prosperous economy is hugely beneficial, as it allows people to be more efficient and achieve more. In a weak economy it will be used to replace jobs, leading to unemployment.

The IP aspect is really interesting. I’m not at all convinced that AI can be made to comply with IP law, and if some AI companies try to and others don’t then the ones that don’t will steal market share.

It[s not hugely beneficial if it leads to a massive market crash not seen since the heady days of tulip fever while destroying the environment by using as much electricity as India.

The first link specifically has a list of jobs AI will create. It took me all of 2 seconds to google. If you're so worried, do some research yourself.

I'm not sure why you're being so combative, but there is no 'list'. It's an article from two years ago, which is a long time in the world of AI. It's also only referring to LLM's, not the entirety of AI.

A handful of new tech jobs aren't going to come anywhere close to replacing the jobs that will be lost due to AI.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2025/dec/01/its-going-much-too-fast-the-inside-story-of-the-race-to-create-the-ultimate-ai

An interesting read.....

Interesting article mistress.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/2025/11/29/ai-creating-a-jobs-drought-for-young-people-and-it-will-only-get-worse-recruiter-warns/

I guess this guy is another Luddite who hasn't learned to 'embrace' AI and get with the programme?

"Artificial intelligence is creating a “jobs drought” for graduates and younger people seeking entry-level employment, and things are only going to get worse, according to James Reed, chair of Reed, the world’s largest family-run recruitment firm.
Speaking at the Other Voices festival in Dingle, Co Kerry, London-based Mr Reed said in his 30-plus years in the recruitment business he had never seen shrinking vacancies in a growing economy and the trend is endemic.
“The truth is we haven’t even hit rock bottom yet in terms of decreasing numbers of vacancies – and this holds for all our markets, including Ireland.” he said. “When it comes to the impact of AI, we are not talking about the future here; we are talking about now.”