Portfolio Project Final - Jared Drake - COM300

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Colorado State University, Global Campus *

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Communications

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Jun 4, 2024

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The Effects of A.I. On The Workforce Jared Drake Colorado State University Global COM300 Professor Harris 2/25/22 1
2 The Effects of A.I. On The Workforce As the world continues to develop new technologies there have been rising fears about what these new technologies could mean for our workforce. Those advocating for Artificial Intelligence say that it will solely augment jobs and not replace them, while others have seen what is already occurring with technology such as self- checkout and are more skeptical. It is essential that in order to fully understand this problem we must look at the exact mechanisms in which artificial intelligence will actually do both. Without a complete understanding of both arguments, it is not possible for the powers that be to create effective policy or regulations to ensure this technology will not end up being a net negative for humanity. Whether it be positively or negatively, one thing is for sure, Artificial Intelligence will affect the workforce. Widespread Effects Whether you are an unskilled laborer, a mid-level manager, or a lawyer, Artificial Intelligence is going to affect careers and jobs from all walks of life. Bruun (2018) conducted a survey in which they asked 1,896 experts in the field of A.I. and 52% of them believe that artificial intelligence will displace more jobs than it will create. Since 2018 however these estimates have gone up because even just six years ago the experts were unaware of the speed of development this new technology was going to have. There are major corporations such as Amazon that offer massive financial awards each year for new technology in this field. Not only are corporations driving the speed at which this technology is being developed but the technology itself is aiding in its rapid development. Through the use of artificial intelligence programmers have been able to make progress in software development at speeds previously not thought possible. The most common misconception when it comes to new technologies displacing workers is that it will only effect unskilled workers with repetitive tasks. While it is
3 true that this will most likely be the highest number of workers affected there is already evidence that this will not be the extent of the job loss. Since May of 2023 more than 4,600 jobs in the technology sector that required at least a bachelor’s degree have been cut directly due to advancements in artificial intelligence and programming efficiency. Unregulated Effects As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent it is increasingly imperative that legislation be put in place to mitigate the potential negative effects it could bring to the workforce and economy. Many optimists say throughout history we have adapted to new technologies, the difference is those could not intellectually compete with a human when improvisation was needed but that is no longer the case. Jobs across the employment spectrum will all be challenged by tech that can combine the efficiency of a machine with the creativity and agency of a human. According to a study done roughly 27% of business leaders stated that artificial intelligence replaced employees in 2022 (Mutascu, 2023). The rate at which this will occur is only going to increase. Private funding for artificial intelligence in 2011 was estimated to be around $282 million and in 2021 it was an estimated $16.5 billion (Bailey, 2022). Sooner Rather Than Later Too many times throughout history governments have chosen not to intervene and instead have been left scrambling to solve issues before society collapses. Even if there is only a small chance that this new technology could cause devastating effects to our workforce and economy then there needs to be policy in place ahead of time. Thanks to certain individuals such as Andrew Yang, a presidential candidate in 2020 that centered his platform on these issues, there has been more attention given to the subject, but it is not sufficient. Chomanski (2019) summarizes that if the country’s economy comes to rely on the decisions of the corporate elite
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