Under that category of “technology is neither good nor bad; and it is seldom neutral”,  I just watched a very interesting and well-done video about the impact of intelligent machine technology on our jobs.

In part, it compares horses and people.  When the automobile started entering our economy, horses might have said, “This will make horse-life easier and we horses can move to more interesting and easier jobs”.  But that didn’t happen; the horse population peaked in 1915 and has been declining ever since.  I’m sure we all agree that intelligent and cognitive applications will certainly replace some jobs.  The question is: will there be enough new jobs to keep humans fully employed?   Might unemployment raise to 45% as the video suggests?  How many future job descriptions will contain the phrase “Humans Need Not Apply”.

What the video fails to discuss is how massive unemployment might be averted.  I’d like to see even some proposals or suggestions.  Do you have any ideas?

I would also like to think that I—a high-tech, machine-learning, cognitive-app, AI technologist— would be immune to these kinds of changes.  But I’m less certain after watching this video.    You should definitely check it out.