As AI is booming and making its space across departments and places, the concern of AI replacing humans is looming. Headlines like “Will AI lead to job cuts?” and “AI Eating Your Jobs” are becoming everyday occurrences. While these might sound funny to some, there’s an underlying reality that needs to be addressed.
The Threat
Historically, every new technology and invention has been viewed as a potential job killer. For example, the invention of the steam engine in the 18th century sparked fears that the mechanization of work would render human labor obsolete. The Luddites, a group of English textile workers and weavers in the 19th century, famously destroyed machinery because they believed it threatened their livelihoods. Yet, despite these fears, the Industrial Revolution ultimately led to the creation of new industries, jobs, and opportunities that no one could have imagined at the time.
Similarly, the rise of computers in the late 20th century generated widespread concern about job losses, particularly in clerical and administrative roles. However, the digital revolution also gave birth to entire sectors of the economy — information technology, software development, digital marketing — that have created millions of jobs worldwide.
There are hundreds of examples like this!
Coming back to AI replacing Humans, this concern has not only been echoed by people or working class but some of the most influential people across the world. Again, there are always two sides, one supporting the change, one opposing it!
What is important here is to understand how AI benefits from human contributions and how humans can improve their productivity with AI.
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The Opportunity
The notion of “Fat AI, thin jobs” might soon become the rallying cry for a new era of human-AI interaction — one where AI itself becomes the lifeblood of economies and the bedrock of a new kind of income.
Professor Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “godfather of artificial intelligence,” advocates for the establishment of a universal basic income (UBI) to address the inequality AI might exacerbate by displacing mundane jobs. He warned that while AI could increase productivity and wealth, the benefits would likely flow to the rich, leaving those who lose their jobs without support, which could harm society.
So before talking further about this let’s understand in brief about UBI — Universal Basic Income.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a concept where the state provides all members with a regular, unconditional income, intended to cover basic living expenses. The amount, number of participants, and implementation may vary based on the governing committee and the goal.
This may sound like a modern-day concept, but it actually roots back centuries. The idea first appeared in Thomas More’s 1516 book “Utopia,” which suggested a society where everyone receives enough to meet their basic needs.
Later, in 1797, American revolutionary Thomas Paine proposed a version of UBI in his work “Agrarian Justice,” advocating for a national fund to support every citizen. The concept continued to evolve, with notable advocates like Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, who saw UBI as a tool to fight poverty and achieve economic justice.
Today, UBI remains a topic of global discussion, as societies explore ways to address economic inequality and the challenges posed by technological advancements.
Now, with the rise of AI, this concept may evolve to give rise to a new form of income: Data Basic Income (DBI).
The idea behind Data Basic Income is simple: as AI systems require continuous streams of high-quality data to function and learn, those who provide this data should be compensated fairly.
Figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have championed UBI as a way to ensure that everyone has a safety net in an increasingly automated world. However, while UBI offers a broad solution to economic inequality, it doesn’t address the specific challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of AI.
Data Basic Income, on the other hand, offers a more targeted approach. By tying income directly to contributions to AI development, DBI ensures that those who help build the AI-driven future are rewarded for their efforts. This model has the potential to create a more dynamic and resilient economy, one where individuals are empowered to take on new roles and responsibilities as technology evolves.
As AI systems increasingly rely on vast amounts of data to learn and improve, individuals could be compensated for their contributions to these data sets. This data, crucial for the functioning and enhancement of AI technologies, would effectively become a source of income for individuals, ensuring that the economic benefits of AI are more widely distributed.
By participating in the data economy, people could earn a stable income, turning the digital footprint they leave behind into tangible financial support. As AI continues to reshape industries and job markets, Data Basic Income could emerge as a critical tool for ensuring economic security in the 21st century.
A New Narrative for AI and Work
The concept of Data Basic Income introduces a novel framework for understanding the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and the workforce. As AI technologies advance, new roles such as AI Trainers, Prompt Engineers, and AI Feedback Specialists (or Correctors) are becoming essential. These positions underscore the critical need for human oversight in the development and refinement of AI systems. Professionals in these roles will be instrumental in steering AI technologies to ensure alignment with human values, mitigating risks, and preventing unintended outcomes.
Moreover, the omnipresence of AI necessitates the emergence of specialized roles focused on ethical governance. AI Ethics Officers and Regulatory Compliance Specialists will become integral in addressing the ethical challenges posed by AI, guiding both the development and deployment of AI systems in a manner that aligns with societal values and regulatory standards
Data Basic Income is not just a response to the challenges posed by AI; it’s a proactive approach to building a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.
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PublicAI envisions Data Basic Income (DBI) as a transformative approach to redefining the value of human contributions in the AI-driven economy. By integrating blockchain technology into its AI data infrastructure, PublicAI empowers individuals to actively participate in the AI development process.
PublicAI’s stake-slash and consensus algorithm is central to this vision, ensuring that data provided by workers is of the highest quality, which is essential for refining AI models in complex areas such as Text-To-Speech (TTS) for non-English languages.
PublicAI sees DBI as a foundational shift towards a new economy where data becomes a form of currency and contributors are fairly rewarded for their role in advancing AI technologies. This approach underscores PublicAI’s commitment to creating sustainable job opportunities in the post-singularity era, where human input remains vital in guiding and enhancing AI systems.
This shift towards data-centric value creation parallels the evolution of AI and its impact on employment. DBI redefines how we think about work and compensation in an AI-driven world. It challenges the notion that AI will lead to a jobless society, proposing instead that new forms of employment will emerge — roles focused on improving AI systems, ensuring their alignment with human values, and maintaining the ethical standards of their operation.
As we look to the future, the question is not whether AI will take over jobs, but how we can ensure that the transition to an AI-driven world is as smooth and inclusive as possible.