Artificial Intelligence is said to be set to revolutionise many sectors. Is this a force for productivity gains or just a threat to jobs?
Well, as the Australian Productivity Commission said recently, technology has over time created many more jobs than it has replaced. But like Moore’s law, most technology trends eventually come to a juddering halt. So, AI might destroy more jobs than it creates.
If so, we will need to change how we distribute and share wealth – the fruits of productivity. Wealth inequality has been growing over the last 20 years. We have seen very few experiments in halting, or even slowing, it.
Yet, unless we find a way of ensuring that the many without work share the gains made by the few in work, society seems doomed.
Of course I could be wrong. (I often am.) AI might create a range if jobs that we haven’t even thought about yet … and we will continue our march of inequality to ….???