Shafaqna English- As debates intensify over artificial intelligence’s impact on employment, experts argue that the key issue is not whether AI will replace jobs or create new ones, but who will control the technology and how its productivity gains will be distributed, according to the Time.
Nearly a century after economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that technological progress could drastically reduce working hours, the rise of AI has revived discussions about the future of labor. While some believe AI will eliminate jobs and others argue it will generate new forms of work, both perspectives often assume that technology alone determines social outcomes.
Critics contend that history tells a different story. From the Industrial Revolution to the computer age, technological advances have rarely translated into greater freedom or reduced workloads for workers. Instead, productivity gains have frequently been used to increase managerial control, intensify work, and boost corporate profits.
Historical examples show that machines transformed not only production processes but also labor relations. Factory systems replaced skilled craftsmanship with centralized supervision, while assembly-line production fragmented work and increased its pace. Similarly, digital technologies and email streamlined office tasks but often resulted in higher workloads and expectations of constant availability.
Analysts warn that AI could follow the same pattern. Beyond automating tasks, the technology may make labor cheaper, more fragmented, and more interchangeable. As organizations adopt AI tools, the central challenge will be determining whether the benefits of increased productivity are shared with workers or concentrated among business owners and investors.
The debate, therefore, extends beyond job creation or job loss. It centers on whether AI will expand human freedom and improve working conditions, or reinforce existing inequalities and systems of workplace control.
Source: Time