‘The frontier is moving': AI is already making it harder for some to find a job
'There are signs that entry-level positions are being displaced by artificial intelligence,' the firm wrote in a report in May, noting that grads with programming and other tech degrees seemed to be particularly struggling in the job market. Other factors, including companies cutting back after over-hiring, could also be at play.
In June,
Anthropic, predicted the technology will eliminate half of all white-collar jobs.
Advertisement
Brooke DeRenzis, head of the nonprofit National Skills Coalition, has described the arrival of AI in the workforce as a 'jump ball' for the middle class.
The tech will create some new jobs, enhance some existing jobs, and eliminate others, but how that will impact ordinary workers is yet to be determined, she said. Government and business leaders need to invest in training programs to teach people how to incorporate AI skills and, at the same time, build a social safety net beyond just unemployment insurance for workers in industries completely displaced by AI, DeRenzis argued.
Advertisement
'We can shape a society that supports our workforce in adapting to an AI economy in a way that can actually grow our middle class,' DeRenzis said. 'One of the potential risks is we could see inequality widen … if we are not fully investing in people's ability to work alongside AI.'
Still, even the latest AI apps are riddled with mistakes and unable to fully replace human workers at many tasks. Less than three years after ChatGPT burst on the scene, researchers say there is a long way to go before anyone can definitively predict how the technology will affect employment, according to Morgan Frank, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies the impact of AI in jobs.
He says pronouncements from tech CEOs could just be scapegoating as they need to make layoffs because of over-hiring during the pandemic.
'There's not a lot of evidence that there's a huge disaster pending, but there are signs that people entering the workforce to do these kinds of jobs right now don't have the same opportunity they had in the past,' he said. 'The way AI operates and the way that people use it is constantly shifting, and we're just in this transitory period…. The frontier is moving.'
Aaron Pressman can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
20 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Elon Musk's AI company scrubs inappropriate posts after Grok chatbot makes antisemitic comments
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company said Wednesday that it's taking down 'inappropriate posts' made by its Grok chatbot, which appeared to include antisemitic comments that praised Adolf Hitler. Grok was developed by Musk's xAI and pitched as alternative to 'woke AI' interactions from rival chatbots like Google's Gemini, or OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk said Friday that Grok has been improved significantly, and users 'should notice a difference.' Since then, Grok has shared several antisemitic posts, including the trope that Jews run Hollywood, and denied that such a stance could be described as Nazism. 'Labeling truths as hate speech stifles discussion,' Grok said. It also appeared to praise Hitler, according to screenshots of posts that have now apparently been deleted. After making one of the posts, Grok walked back the comments, saying it was 'an unacceptable error from an earlier model iteration, swiftly deleted' and that it condemned 'Nazism and Hitler unequivocally — his actions were genocidal horrors.' 'We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts,' the Grok account posted early Wednesday, without being more specific. 'Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X. xAI is training only truth-seeking and thanks to the millions of users on X, we are able to quickly identify and update the model where training could be improved. The Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat antisemitism, called out Grok's behavior. 'What we are seeing from Grok LLM right now is irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic, plain and simple,' the group said in a post on X. 'This supercharging of extremist rhetoric will only amplify and encourage the antisemitism that is already surging on X and many other platforms.' Musk later waded into the debate, alleging that some users may have been trying to manipulate Grok into making the statements. 'Grok was too compliant to user prompts. Too eager to please and be manipulated, essentially. That is being addressed,' he wrote on X, in response to comments that a user was trying to get Grok to make controversial and politically incorrect statements. Also Wednesday, a court in Turkey ordered a ban on Grok and Poland's digital minister said he would report the chatbot to the European Commission after it made vulgar comments about politicians and public figures in both countries. Krzysztof Gawkowski, who's also Poland's deputy prime minister, told private broadcaster RMF FM that his ministry would report Grok 'for investigation and, if necessary, imposing a fine on X.' Under an EU digital law, social media platforms are required to protect users or face hefty fines. 'I have the impression that we're entering a higher level of hate speech, which is controlled by algorithms, and that turning a blind eye … is a mistake that could cost people in the future,' Gawkowski told the station. Turkey's pro-government A Haber news channel reported that Grok posted vulgarities about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his late mother and well-known personalities. Offensive responses were also directed toward modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, other media outlets said. That prompted the Ankara public prosecutor to file for the imposition of restrictions under Turkey's internet law, citing a threat to public order. A criminal court approved the request early on Wednesday, ordering the country's telecommunications authority to enforce the ban. It's not the first time Grok's behavior has raised questions. Earlier this year the chatbot kept talking about South African racial politics and the subject of 'white genocide' despite being asked a variety of questions, most of which had nothing to do with the country. An 'unauthorized modification' was behind the problem, xAI said.
Washington Post
22 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Nvidia is again Wall Street's most valuable company. How it got there, by the numbers
Nvidia reached another milestone in its rise to becoming one of the world's most important companies: the first publicly traded company to reach a market value of $4 trillion. Nvidia and other companies benefiting from the boom in artificial intelligence have been a major reason the S&P 500 has recently climbed to a record. Their explosion of profits has helped to propel the market despite worries about possible pain coming for the U.S. economy from tariffs and other policies of President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg
24 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Stock Movers: Nvidia, Meta, Hershey
On this episode of Stock Movers: Listen for comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the US market close as heard on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, and YouTube with Romaine Bostick, Caroline Hyde, Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. - Nvidia (NVDA) shares rose after it became the first company in history to achieve a $4 trillion market valuation, cementing its status as a kingpin in the global financial market. The stock has risen more than 20% in 2025, and is up more than 1,000% since the beginning of 2023. Nvidia now accounts for 7.5% of the S&P 500 Index, near its highest influence on record. The latest catalyst for the stock has been a commitment to AI spending from Nvidia's biggest customers, showing that demand for its computing systems remains strong. This includes tech giants Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet, who are projected to put about $350 billion into capital expenditures in their upcoming fiscal years, up from $310 billion in the current year, according to the average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Those companies account for more than 40% of Nvidia's revenue. - Meta Platforms (META) bought a minority stake in the world's largest eyewear manufacturer, EssilorLuxottica SA, deepening the US tech giant's commitment to the fast-growing smart glasses industry, according to people familiar with the matter. Facebook parent Meta acquired just under 3% of the Ray-Ban maker, a stake worth around €3 billion ($3.5 billion) at market prices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because deliberations are private. Meta, based in Menlo Park, California, is considering further investment that could build the stake to around 5% over time, the people added, though those plans could change. Shares closed higher. - Hershey (HSY) shares tumbled as chocolate makers struggle due to a shortage in cocoa. Chocolate makers were already grappling with record prices for cocoa butter, which provides that melt-in-your-mouth feel. Now they are also paying up for the powder that lends their product its color and taste. Cocoa powder, used in everything from baking mixes to protein shakes, is now in short supply too. Prices for the key ingredient, produced when cocoa beans are ground, surged about 16% in the US over the past year, and are now trading near a record.
