Grassroots Advocacy Group Calls for Mitigation of AI’s Risks to Jobs of the Most Vulnerable
AUGUST 2024
Seattle/ Dubai – The Global BrainTrust, a grassroots advocacy group, issues a stern warning about artificial intelligence’s risk to human jobs, along with a reminder that AI must serve all of humanity’s interests equally, and that proactive measures made to mitigate job losses, especially among those who are most vulnerable.
“Our fear is that AI will worsen overall economic inequality, favouring those countries that are equipped for its adoption, mostly benefitting tech-savy businesses and high-income workers who are able to leverage AI. The increase in the capital returns will likely expand the disparity of wealth between those who use AI and those who lack the knowledge and resources, unless adequate mitigation measures are put place,” said Sana Bagersh, CEO of the Global BrainTrust
She said the Global BrainTrust recognizes the disagreement among experts about the impact of AI on global employment, with some like Elon Musk warning of the impending need for universal income to offset job losses, and others in the tech community extolling the virtues of the AI transformation. “But while AI will continue to improve the lives of millions globally, there is sure to be widespread job losses, impacting some industries, and many livelihoods especially in the developing nations,” she said.
Those workers who are in labour intensive jobs may become redundant first, unless countries and companies build social safety nets that include retraining programmes and infrastructures, making sure that they are inclusive and protect livelihoods.
“We know that new jobs will be created by the AI revolution. Understanding the delicate balance between automation which will replace jobs, and augmentation which will improve job output, is crucial to navigating AI’s impact on future jobs.”
She said the Global BrainTrust advocates an approach to AI adoption that is responsible and maintains the public trust. It calls for advanced economies to support underdeveloped communities, and nascent industries, through training and partnership programming, providing incentives to upgrade their frameworks and reallocate labour resources.
Seeing AI from an educational perspective, Dr Fran Apprich, Communication Advisor at the Global BrainTrust, identifies an existential threat that requires educational institutions to transform themselves, properly training students to meet new challenges. “Schools and universities must prepare the new generation for the needed workforce. If we miss out on identifying these challenges and leveraging the opportunities, we’ll end up with graduates who are in debt, and with no opportunities to pay back, to compete internationally or to help build a sustainable tomorrow”.
Rick Butler, Social Impact Investor and Global Braintrust Consortium member doesn’t believe that the burden of addressing job losses falls on the tech companies. “AI can only take certain jobs however it will create high-end jobs in return. So, which jobs are we worried about losing? These are the ones that require basic education and that keep company efficiencies down.
Butler explains, “Any job that requires repetition or script-like work is at risk of AI replacement. Take the automotive industry as an example. The automation process is based on repetitive design and production cycle per print. There is no need to have humans on an assembly line, as the machines can quickly assemble cars to meet the demand of the market.”
“At the same time, the maintenance on a car is not repetitive as repairs are unique to each vehicle and driver. So, while AI can be programmed to build, it may not be so adept at repairing cars en masse,” he adds.
Maysoon Barber is Social Impact Advisor at the Global BrainTrust, who also leads a cultural NGO focused on creative and social impact initiatives, as well as access to education. She believes that AI poses a high-level threat in the social domain unless risks are mitigated.
While AI takes a more analytical approach, there are jobs, such as those of social workers, that rely more on human-centric characteristics such as intuition and empathy. “AI-driven automation has the potential to lessen the human touch and the interpersonal interactions that are essential to social impact projects.
“The value of human skills like empathy, creativity, and strategic thinking may be underestimated. Businesses may place too much reliance on AI technologies while undervaluing human judgment and creativity in impactful social projects, especially in those projects where impact is not assessed using quantifiable KPIs.”
Barber explained that AI does not have the cultural awareness and comprehension necessary to handle complicated societal concerns, which might result in projects that do not adequately respond to or support diverse communities.
The impact of AI on the creative industries could lead to greater “standardization of art and culture” and diminished variety and creativity, she says, adding “AI could not have the cultural awareness and comprehension necessary to produce art that truly speaks to certain cultures, which could result in works that seem artificial and inauthentic. As AI technologies advance, there will be growing impact on, and certain job losses in, the creative industries.
“Written and visual content produced by AI algorithms will reduce dependence on human creators, in many commercial ventures,” said Barber. “Traditional creative professions like illustrators, copywriters, and editors may become redefined or reduced. And there’s a chance that customers and companies may underestimate or ignore the special worth of human creativity and craftsmanship as AI-generated art becomes more prevalent. Additionally, as AI-generated content draws inspiration from previously published works, plagiarism and copyright violations may arise, endangering the rights of the original authors”
Sara Bukair, who studies Computer Science at Stanford, and leads the Global BrainTrust’s Youth Council, says the implication of AI on jobs has frequently dominated academic discussions.
Those who completely reject AI may find themselves at a disadvantage in industries that are rapidly adopting AI solutions. Therefore, it is imperative for employees to become adept at using AI to remain competitive in their respective fields.
“The impact of AI on the job market is multifaceted and very much context dependent. There are certain high-risk jobs where AI should be implemented to spare human workers from intensive or traumatic tasks,” she said.
“For instance, social network moderation often requires human moderators to sift through distressing content such as beheadings, sexual assault, and other forms of violence. To mitigate the trauma associated with this work, many companies are now leveraging AI moderators. These AI systems can flag inappropriate content, thereby protecting human moderators from exposure.”
She explains that there are also potentially hazardous applications of AI that could lead to job losses as well as inequities due to the misrepresentation of minority communities. An example is in the use of generative AI focus groups to predict responses of specific niche users. Bukair believes this practice risks perpetuating stereotypes and assumptions about certain minority (BIPOC) groups, adding that reliance on AI in this context could result in biased outcomes and a vicious cycle because of the absence of human workers who would provide valuable and nuanced insights.
Ultimately, the assessment of whether AI replacing jobs is beneficial or detrimental depends on the specific context. What is crucial is the speed at which AI is being developed and integrated into society, and the level of preparedness of the general population to understand and utilize this technology. “Those who completely reject AI may find themselves at a disadvantage in those industries that are rapidly adopting AI solutions.”
Zainab Hafiz, who is US Regional Advisor at the Global BrainTrust and who works in talent management and organizational development, believes AI related job losses will have huge implications that will necessitate a reimagination of the future of work.
“AI cannot replace critical thinking, creativity, or interpersonal skills, attributes that remain uniquely human. Created by humans for humans, AI still requires our input, learning, and interaction. And while AI may foreshadow job losses, it also creates opportunities for new roles.”
She shares, “My seventh-grade science teacher once said that some of us would work in jobs that didn’t yet exist. That idea fascinated me then, and it still does now. I believe AI will generate new jobs that rely on human skills, complemented by AI’s capabilities. For organizations, this means rethinking the resources needed and addressing AI’s impact proactively.”
Hafiz believes that there will be a need for “Upskilling and Reskilling” employees for a changing workforce, and “Future-Skilling” which will be an active anticipation of the technology requirements and roles needed to manage AI.
Another key tract is ‘Human-Skilling’ which focuses on adaptability, emotional intelligence, and complex decision-making, she explained, adding that this will be supported by a strong focus on “engagement, and the nurturing of open and transparent communication with employees to drive these changes and foster a healthy mindset shift.
Hafiz says that within the big tech companies some are taking steps to address job loss risks associated with AI, investing in reskilling and upskilling programs for their employees, while others are funding educational initiatives to prepare the broader workforce for a tech-driven future.
“However, the pace of technological advancement often outstrips these efforts, leading to gaps that need to be addressed more comprehensively. Big tech companies must prioritize transparent communication with employees, continuous learning opportunities, and partnerships with educational institutions and governments to mitigate job displacement. By doing so, they can help ensure a smoother transition for workers, and contribute to a more balanced and inclusive technological future.”
Katherine Shulock, Public Health Advisor at the Global BrainTrust, believes that while AI can be used effectively to analyze data and identify trends in disease, as well as potential outbreaks, it can’t replace “the human eye, with its sensitivity to nuance and its ability to incorporate qualitative data.”
She explains, “AI is useful for the most basic surveillance of public data, but epidemiologists and clinicians trained in public health should not be replaced in comprehensive population health surveillance, response and programming.”
Shulock believes the human interaction between clinician and patient to explore and understand disease and pathology is essential. “So many aspects of our health are subjective, cultural and qualitative, and human interaction can help diagnose a patient just as much as the quantitative and lab-based results.”
Patients in Western medicine are already complaining of declining human contact due to tight schedules and other aspects of the healthcare industry, she said, adding, “Less human interaction with clinicians due to the introduction of AI in certain healthcare jobs will contribute to more frustration and less fulfilment on the patient experience.”
“Although not yet proven, the widespread use of AI in the healthcare industry could lead to worse health outcomes. Thus, AI in healthcare and in public health, which looks at the whole of population health, should be heavily regulated,” she said.
Ends