It doesn't matter if it works

4 days ago

The article argues that debates about AI's efficacy are less important than its impact on labor, framing widespread AI adoption as a threat to the workforce regardless of its effectiveness.
In a scenario where AI works effectively, it could lead to job losses, de-skilling, and reduced wages, similar to the Industrial Revolution, concentrating power in managerial classes and weakening labor.
In a scenario where AI doesn't work as claimed, it may still be used as a pretext for mass layoffs, exploiting weak worker protections to cut costs, rehire workers at lower wages, and undermine job quality and benefits.
Both scenarios result in reduced worker solidarity, skill, and wages, with AI serving as a tool for capitalists to threaten labor, analogous to offshoring practices that weaken local labor markets.
The article calls on workers to shift focus from questioning AI's efficacy to recognizing who benefits from its deployment—capitalists—and advocates for unionization to protect against automation, whether real or pretextual.

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