Ethics & Society
Who's Using Who?
The Pitfalls of Replacing Human With Artificial Intelligence.
By: Michael Vitaro 🇨🇦
2024-07-20
Who's Using Who? — The Pitfalls of Replacing Human With Artificial Intelligence
AI’s Limitations & Corporate Failures
AI promises efficiency, but Microsoft and Amazon have shown the risks. Both made mass layoffs, only to find their AI systems couldn't handle complexities that their human counterparts manage daily. Amazon faced disruptions when their AI-driven logistics faltered—forcing them to rehire many of the workers they had just let go. Similarly, Microsoft stumbled when their AI couldn’t handle key processes effectively but quickly corrected course.
The lesson is clear—AI can assist, but can't stand alone. Especially not for roles that require the depth and creativity of human judgment.
The Tragedy of the Commons
In the mad dash to automate, companies are depleting a shared resource—the talent pool. By firing entry-level workers, they create a skill gap. Senior employees are adapting to AI, but without entry-level workers moving up—new workers never gain experience. As a result, the senior talent pool shrinks and the skill gap widens—representing a very real threat to long-term growth and innovation.
Fewer trained humans means less oversight and less innovation. AI alone can't fix everything, and without a robust talent pool, industries may face a long, slow decline.
Make the best goods at the lowest cost, paying the highest wages possible.—Henry Ford
Ford knew workers must be able to enjoy the products they produce. So he doubled wages and limited working hours to the now-familiar 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Raising wages and improving quality of life created a cycle—employees became customers, demand surged, and the industry thrived.
Today, companies like Google and Meta do the opposite. The most advanced AI systems are pointless if no one buys what they produce. Fewer jobs mean fewer consumers, less demand, economic decline, and more layoffs.
Balance Is Key
AI isn’t the enemy. It’s also not a silver bullet. Companies need to balance AI and human employment, investing in both technology and human talent. Cutting jobs too soon could backfire—not just for individual companies, but for the entire economy.