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AI’s productivity theater

AI’s productivity theater

This week on my podcast, I read a recent post from my Pluralistic.net blog/newsletter: “AI’s productivity theater,” about the severe mismatch between the bosses who buy AI to increase their workers’ efficiency, and the utter bafflement of the workers who are expected to use the AI…somehow. A new research report from the Upwork Research Institute... more

Podcast – Cory Doctorow's craphound.com

August 4, 2024

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Show Notes

A medieval tapestry depicting an overseer gesturing imperiously with his stick at three bent peasants who are grubbing in a field. The image has been altered. Contrasts and colors have been pushed into psychedelic pinks, greens and blues. Part of the tapestry fades into a 'code waterfall' effect as seen in the credit sequences of the Wachowskis' 'Matrix' movies. The overseer's head has been replaced with the hostile red eye of HAL 9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.'

This week on my podcast, I read a recent post from my Pluralistic.net blog/newsletter: “AI’s productivity theater,” about the severe mismatch between the bosses who buy AI to increase their workers’ efficiency, and the utter bafflement of the workers who are expected to use the AI…somehow.


A new research report from the Upwork Research Institute offers a look into the bizarre situation unfolding in workplaces where bosses have been conned into buying AI and now face the challenge of getting it to work as advertised:

https://www.upwork.com/research/ai-enhanced-work-models

The headline findings tell the whole story:

* 96% of bosses expect that AI will make their workers more productive;

* 85% of companies are either requiring or strongly encouraging workers to use AI;

* 49% of workers have no idea how AI is supposed to increase their productivity;

* 77% of workers say using AI decreases their productivity.


MP3

(Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0, modified)

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