AI/ML vs The Service Class
Today, Ashish Sahu, a friend of mine, and I engaged in a conversation about the recent progress in AI and ML and contemplated its implications for the working class, particularly those employed in the service sector.
We talked about two main things:
- Will AI eventually take away all jobs?
- Some jobs will be done by machines, but it will also create new jobs in areas like AI, ML, and MLOps.
Let’s start with the idea that some people believe all jobs will eventually be done by machines. But, if that happens, who will cover the cost of running these machines? How will businesses find the money to use AI everywhere?
Every business follows a basic rule: they create something people want and offer it to them. Consider Tata Motors, for example. They make different cars bought by two main groups: 1. People who work and 2. Smaller businesses.
Now, if we assume AI does all the jobs and there’s no service class, those workers won’t buy cars. But what about smaller businesses? Can they afford cars, and if yes, how?
Even smaller businesses that sell products made by big companies typically sell to the service class. So, if there’s no service class, there won’t be anyone to buy products, resulting in no money, no business, and eventually, businesses might have to shut down the AI that replaced the service class.
Here’s one more thing to think about: If big businesses can keep going on their own after automating everything, they might not grow anymore. But, how long can they keep it up? Eventually, all their money might go into maintaining the AI automation, and there won’t be many new funds generated from the business since there’s no one to buy the products.
Let’s dive a bit deeper. I’m assuming that a massive AI powerhouse controls or owns the entire world and everything in it. However, pause for a moment. What would they control if the rest of the population isn’t using any products, which are the data source for these AIs?
Now, let’s discuss the second key point where AI/ML will automate a percentage of jobs, but in turn, it will generate new employment opportunities.
Around 7–8 years ago, when Big Data Technology emerged, everyone was engaged in Hadoop/MapReduce, etc. It was the buzzword of the time, similar to today’s ChatGPT/LLM/AI. However, looking back, Big Data is another field that generated numerous jobs and opened up new career opportunities for people.
Similarly, when cloud technologies (AWS, GCP, Azure) emerged, many predicted it would mark the end of IT infrastructure management roles. However, look at it now — the advent of cloud tech has ushered in a plethora of opportunities in DevOps, leading to a substantial number of well-paying jobs in the field, and it continues to grow each day.
In conclusion, I’d emphasize the importance of upgrading ourselves to comprehend the developments in this rapidly evolving technology landscape and making the appropriate transitions at the right junctures.
Nothing is the end of world, everything will keep evolving.
Happy learning :)
