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Susan Niemann's avatar

I've tried to close my ears to the oncoming AI assault. I'm older than you and clearly, employers would like to rid themselves of people like me. I dont WANT to go gently into that good night, but I may have to. Losing that one client...likely to AI, but also to the ego of the owners son (half my age) who wants to do it.... is forcing me to make some difficult decisions. I think people want to feel valuable, like they are contributing in some way. AI is going to rob people of that. And employers are creating a situation where no one will be able to buy their shit because AI took their jobs. We're losing our humanity. I'm getting depressed. :(

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Peter T Hooper's avatar

“Just a side note, I worked my way through college as a cook/chef. It is not a “lesser” field, it is just one that we as a society do not value enough to pay for.”

This applies to so many other essential, low-status jobs as well. If there turns out to be any value to AI at all, perhaps it will serve to point out how vital it is that certain things cannot be done by virtual, digital technology.

Still, we note the truth of your point that there remains a strong push not to pay these people for their vital work.

There is this, though: a general strike on the part of janitors, garbage collectors, cooks, street sweepers, gas-station clerks, packing plant workers and the like would not need to go on very long to gum things up.

(BtW, like you, I worked in kitchens throughout my college years, starting by bussing tables and working my way up to prep and fry cook.)

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