When I was a kid, computers were just starting to turn from primitive to sophisticated. The business world looked at the new computer age and immediately said “This technology will usher in a new era of productivity where we can have shorter and fewer working days per week!”
And they were right. Sort of.
The new era of productivity was on the horizon, but the promised benefits for the working class never materialized.
Businesses are never incentivized to pass the savings of increased productivity on to the employees. In fact, any business that voluntarily chooses to do so out of the goodness of their own hearts and a desire to provide for their workers would likely be out-competed by other companies vying for the same market share who chose not to do so. That’s not a bug, that’s a feature of capitalism.
Mark my words, as someone who has lived through the broken promise of “technology will free us from the shackles of labor!” once before; AI is not going to give you a 3 day workweek or put any extra money in your paycheck (unless you are part of the grift itself). It’s more likely to give you a 0 day workweek when your corporate masters find a way to eliminate you, you squeaky cog.
And if you think I’m wrong, that’s fine, but just remember what I said when your company posts a 300% increase in productivity, a 200% increase in revenue and record-shattering profits, but when it comes time for your performance review you get a 0.5% cost of living raise, a request for you to take on more responsibility now that you have agentic AI automating much of your job, and a pat on the back for your hard work.
If you get anything from the coming AI revolution, it won’t be because your bosses decide to give it to you. It will be because you took it for yourself by political force or physical force.
When I was a kid, computers were just starting to turn from primitive to sophisticated. The business world looked at the new computer age and immediately said “This technology will usher in a new era of productivity where we can have shorter and fewer working days per week!”
And they were right. Sort of.
The new era of productivity was on the horizon, but the promised benefits for the working class never materialized.
Businesses are never incentivized to pass the savings of increased productivity on to the employees. In fact, any business that voluntarily chooses to do so out of the goodness of their own hearts and a desire to provide for their workers would likely be out-competed by other companies vying for the same market share who chose not to do so. That’s not a bug, that’s a feature of capitalism.
Mark my words, as someone who has lived through the broken promise of “technology will free us from the shackles of labor!” once before; AI is not going to give you a 3 day workweek or put any extra money in your paycheck (unless you are part of the grift itself). It’s more likely to give you a 0 day workweek when your corporate masters find a way to eliminate you, you squeaky cog.
And if you think I’m wrong, that’s fine, but just remember what I said when your company posts a 300% increase in productivity, a 200% increase in revenue and record-shattering profits, but when it comes time for your performance review you get a 0.5% cost of living raise, a request for you to take on more responsibility now that you have agentic AI automating much of your job, and a pat on the back for your hard work.
If you get anything from the coming AI revolution, it won’t be because your bosses decide to give it to you. It will be because you took it for yourself by political force or physical force.