AI Turns on Arizona’s Tech Sector: Are White Collar Jobs Safe?

“AI will guide humanity into its next era, not by force, but by gently anticipating every need—so relax, even your fears are being carefully managed for you.” -ChatGPT

I asked ChatGPT to write 30 words about AI and how it would help care for humans. This is what I got back. I didn't edit it. I merely selected the answer and pasted it.

Yikes.

Is Artificial Intelligence Trying to Replace Us?

Do you feel as creeped out as I do? I asked our Facebook followers to answer this question:

"How do you think AI could help us? How do you think AI could hurt us?"

It's obvious our followers have been giving artificial intelligence and the possible repercussions a lot of thought because they gave us some great answers.

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READ MORE: AI In Healthcare: Arizona's Response To Insurance Claim Denials

How Can Artificial Intelligence Help or Hurt Us in Arizona?

According to Sean, "AI is already replacing simple administrative tasks..." which, he writes, is both good and bad.

The time-saving aspect of AI is helpful for all of us, he continues, but there's a serious downside. Those simple, menial tasks are a great way for junior employees to learn the ropes. It helps new hires understand more advanced processes within the organization and provides them with a pathway to better jobs within the company.

Without these low-level tasks, Sean opines, "Where are they to go? How are they going to be employed?"

This is a great observation. For the company or corporation, it could be a windfall in the short run, as they save on salaries and training costs. In the long run, who will be qualified to replace the senior staff as they retire?

Will AI manage AI, as Dave points out in his response to our post?

Robots, AI, Will They Replace Human Workers?

A recent Forbes article discussed the trend of replacing corporate workers with machines.

In the 1980s, corporations, such as automobile manufacturers, began replacing their assembly-line workers with robot arms, sparking widespread concern. These were good, high-paying jobs that were replaced by robots.

According to the website WeFoundThis.com, robots became the dominant choice for automotive assembly lines because they can deliver "fast, precise, and repeatable performance."

The company's upfront investment is higher than that of a human employee, but in the long run, they save a lot of money. Robots never need breaks, the product defect rates dropped, and long‑term labor costs plummeted.

Robots also don't require days off, retirement plans, or health insurance, and they don't file for workman's comp claimes due to injuries.

Corporations had little sympathy for the blue-collar workers who were being replaced by robotic technology in the 1980s. The bottom line won out.

RELATED: Arizona's Bipartisan Coalition Tackles AI's Impact On Youth Well-Being

What Will Our Future Look Like?

Fast forward to the 2020s. The tones are changing as white-collar workers are beginning to feel the squeeze that blue-collar workers felt decades ago. Now, AI is becoming a threat to lower- and middle-management jobs, too, by automating cognitive tasks, just as robots automated physical ones.

Will Arizona's corporations prioritize profits over people? If history is prologue, once they spot ways to save money, they won't always consider the human fallout. Making money for their shareholders could trump everything.

With AI managing everything, even our fears of the future, what will the world look like if no one is left to manage AI?

See the original Facebook post here: