As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly evolves, experts predict profound effects on the job market, individual rights, and artistic integrity in Australia. US Interior Secretary and presidential candidate Doug Burgum and Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu are raising the alarm. In doing so, they raise the alarm on the deeply problematic risks of fast-tracking AI adoption across multiple industries. The truth is grim, with estimates projecting half of all current jobs potentially automatable within the next two decades. So a lot of the conversation about AI has really ramped up.
The stakes of integrating AI are much bigger than jobs. They get to the core of democracy, creativity, and human rights. As Australia steers through this technological disruption, mediation between fostering innovation and ensuring proper regulation will be key.
The Future of Employment
As per Doug Burgum’s estimates, as much as half of all jobs are likely to be automated within the next two decades. This worrying figure is complemented by claims made by McKinsey, which predicts the automation will displace more than 400 million jobs worldwide. The impending reality of mass unemployment from transformative technology like AI brings even more immediate questions around how we will deal with society-wide adaptations.
In a recent New York Times op-ed, Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu warned that generative AI’s rapid adoption into the workforce threatens to worsen inequality. It’s people who do best when we have new technology that creates new opportunity. Hundreds of thousands more may have trouble seeking out potential pathways to good jobs. This widening inequality threatens to increase civil disorder and deepen a rift between the affluent and everyone else.
Additionally, prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen stresses the shark tank underbelly of work as AI takes a leap forward. In fact, his doomsday scenario posits that the value of labor will be pretty much destroyed within a mere five years if the present course is maintained. The specter of mass unemployment and economic turmoil means that governments and other industries need to get ahead of the curve and prepare for these changes.
Artistic Integrity at Risk
With the meteoric rise of generative AI, those fears have come to a head. They condemn the tech giant’s use of AI for taking advantage of their work. As noted by author Anna Funder, generative AI most notably rips off artistic works without attribution or payment in mind. This practice endangers every musician or composer’s livelihood and undermines the very nature of creativity, which must be free to flourish across disciplines and media.
The absence of recognition for creators of source material creates troubling ethical implications about intellectual property in the age of AI. Humans create content by using existing works. This makes for a tough space for artists to operate, especially when what they’re doing could be denigrated or ignored outright.
Dr. Susan Foley draws parallels between the current AI debate and historical concerns surrounding the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. She claims the technological revolution led to a social revolution and made education more democratic. She admits that the threats posed by misinformation are far from over. It’s too early to know if AI will have a similar cultural impact or further inflame the underlying societal issues.
Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities
As conversation about AI’s potential impacts continues, Australian unions are calling for stricter rules around the use of AI at work. They contend that without vigorous accountability, workers’ rights will be sacrificed for unregulated technological advancement.
At the same time, there is a great deal of concern about a heavy-handed approach to regulation that would quash innovation. The Australian government has now been put on notice. Harsh, impractical measures overreach, potentially threatening the country’s economic promise and putting it at a disadvantage against global competitors. After months of discussion, Europe has already taken the lead by hammering out AI regulations, becoming a leader in the area of internet governance.
Warnings from all time greats like Sir Zelman Cowen barely make the conversation at all. He warns that these technologies, including “American ears,” uphold and endanger the very freedoms and rights of individuals. As Australia looks to carve out its regulatory response, the priority should be ensuring we’re striking the right balance between fostering innovation and protecting the rights of citizens.
