Tag: inequality

Automation and AI: Implications for African Development Prospects?

Automation and AI: Implications for African Development Prospects?

Introduction

Now that computers are capable of taking the jobs that require brain as well as brawn, it may appear there is little left for humans to do. There are many scary forecasts of the capacity of automation and AI to replace a lot of workers very fast. Self-driving vehicles may wipe out opportunities for taxi drivers and truckers, for example. Brynjolfsson, Rock, and Syverson note there are 3.5 million people employed driving vehicles in the US. If automation reduced that to 1.5 million, that alone would increase total US labor productivity by 1.7 percent, [1] but it would […]

Will The Future Of Work Require More Investment In Technology, Not Less?

Will The Future Of Work Require More Investment In Technology, Not Less?

Will The Future Of Work Require More Investment In Technology, Not Less? Getty In 2018 MIT created a ‘Task Force on the Work of the Future’ to explore the way technologies are impacting the world of work, and how society can adapt to ensure that prosperity is broadly shared throughout. They aim to cut through the hyperbole that has sadly come to dominate this topic and give empirical, evidence-driven commentary.

The task force have recently published their first official report not with an express aim to provide definitive answers, but rather to help leaders and policy makers ensure they’re able […]

If the Democrats preserve saying loopy issues concerning the financial system, Trump will win once more

If the Democrats preserve saying loopy issues concerning the financial system, Trump will win once more

With felonies flying quick and livid at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week, it could appear a curious time to jot down about how Democrats operating for president are saying sort of loopy issues.

However they’re.

As a result of Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and (typically) Elizabeth Warren are radically misdiagnosing issues within the U.S. financial system, they’re off — typically miles off — in prescriptions for reform.The sheer quantity of free speak about how capitalism is failing is gorgeous. This myth-making scares employees within the current, and sparks proposals that ought to scare markets for the long run.Like, what?Robotic responseStart with […]

Opinion: If the Democrats keep saying crazy things about the economy, Trump will win again

Opinion: If the Democrats keep saying crazy things about the economy, Trump will win again

Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang exchange a high-five at the Democratic presidential candidates debate. With felonies flying fast and furious at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week, it may seem a curious time to write about how Democrats running for president are saying kind of crazy things.

But they are.

Because Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and (sometimes) Elizabeth Warren are radically misdiagnosing problems in the U.S. economy, they are off — often miles off — in prescriptions for reform.The sheer amount of loose talk about how capitalism is failing is stunning. This myth-making scares workers in the present, and sparks proposals that […]

Opinion: If the Democrats keep saying crazy things about the economy, Trump will win again

Opinion: If the Democrats keep saying crazy things about the economy, Trump will win again

Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang exchange a high-five at the Democratic presidential candidates debate. With felonies flying fast and furious at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week, it may seem a curious time to write about how Democrats running for president are saying kind of crazy things.

But they are.

Because Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and (sometimes) Elizabeth Warren are radically misdiagnosing problems in the U.S. economy, they are off — often miles off — in prescriptions for reform.The sheer amount of loose talk about how capitalism is failing is stunning. This myth-making scares workers in the present, and sparks proposals that […]

Workplace Automation: Should We Fear the Robots?

Workplace Automation: Should We Fear the Robots?

Science fiction has given us plenty of negative portrayals of robots, from “Ex Machina” to “The Terminator” films. In real life, St. Louis Fed researchers are separating fact from fiction when it comes to automation’s impact on jobs. Science fiction has not been kind to the robot.

For every sympathetic depiction of a robot (remember “WALL-E”?) many more are negative (think “Ex Machina”).

One reason for such dismal depictions may be our own fear that rapid technological advances could overwhelm and possibly replace us — perhaps not in the way Skynet tries to eliminate humanity in “The Terminator” films, but by […]

Economic Inequality & Employment

From shifting job categories , the disruption and decimation of industries, and an impending global skills mismatch, to the concentration of extreme wealth, income inequality, and avoidance of corporate taxes, Silicon Valley’s role in furthering economic inequality is hugely important, insufficiently understood, and under-actioned. The role technology plays in changing the conditions and types of employment, as well as reshaping global economics, is not the most publicized problem the industry has weathered, but it will be the next—and it will be the worst. Like other harmful social outcomes in which it is complicit, the tech industry’s mentality, priorities, and […]

Workforce Automation Exacerbates The Racial Wealth Gap

Workforce Automation Exacerbates The Racial Wealth Gap

null Getty For generations of workers displacement has been a normal albeit unequal process, now technology is adding another layer to the mix. Workplace automation presents the larger society with a conundrum, as A.I. is set to upend companies, leaving African Americans especially vulnerable. Nearly 4.5 million African Americans in the next 10 years could lose their jobs due to automaton. Is it possible this business impediment will lead to more income inequality and is there anything that can be done about it?

The Breakdown You Need to Know: In a new report from McKinsey focused on the impact […]

A global strike for a feminist future of work

A global strike for a feminist future of work

The IMF claims to be empowering women, but its programmes will only lead to more women doing precarious work. APWLD mobilisation against the IMF and World Bank, October 2018 Read more!

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Speculation around the future of work has dominated policy discussion among governments and international agencies, especially the UN and ILO, in recent years. The debate centers around how technology will disrupt the workforce, with focus on increased automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). This has resulted in various policy recommendations ranging from retraining and upskilling, redesigning education systems, to flexibilisation of jobs.The World Bank […]

Is AI an agent of big tech hegemony or multi-disciplinary research and innovation?

Is AI an agent of big tech hegemony or multi-disciplinary research and innovation?

Summary: A recent New York Times article focused on fears of a big tech monopoly over AI technology and research. Severe debunkery ensues… A recent New York Times article fretting about the soaring costs of developing and training leading-edge deep learning models and my admittedly provocative Tweet questioning the premise and motives of the article’s sources led to the type of online banter that indicates a nuanced question ill-suited for pithy Twitter responses.

Fears of AI creating a chasm between haves and have-nots are common, however the topic of AI-fueled inequality typically centers on its economic effects, namely that the […]