A.I. Doesn't Have to Be the Death Knell for U.S. Jobs
*By Britt Terrell*
The rise of artificial intelligence and new automation will inevitably lead to the loss of some jobs across different industries, but it may also create entirely new careers for American workers.
What jobs disappear, and how fast they'll be replaced, may depend on how traditional industries and new technology companies cooperate, and how the government can help foster those partnerships, said Politico's technology reporter, Steven Overly.
“When the internet was created, I think a lot of folks also speculated it would replace a number of jobs and it has in some ways, but it has also created new jobs," Overly said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar. "It’s opened up new industries and so there are a lot of folks who are optimistic that with A.I., it will follow a similar path."
Many of the most optimistic folks from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other tech firms discussed how A.I. technology may affect American workers at a White House summit Thursday.
Some blue-collar workers, such as truck drivers, are expected to be replaced by autonomous vehicles. The administration and representatives from the tech industry are considering new programs to train American workers on how to [use A.I. technology](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/05/08/white-house-will-host-amazon-facebook-ford-and-other-major-companies-for-summit-on-ai/) in new ways for new jobs.
"Certainly the administration has conveyed that they now view artificial intelligence as a national priority," said Overly. "And certainly there are many in the industry who say if the U.S. doesn’t take a stronger stance on this, we’re going to fall behind China, India and the E.U.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/white-house-hosts-a-i-summit).
Uber has reached a deal to include New York City taxi cabs on its app, a move that will help to boost driver availability for passengers and open up a new set of customers for cab drivers.
Computer-sharing network Salad is announcing a $17 million Series A round. Salad offers an open-source desktop application that invites gamers to share storage, bandwidth, and other resources from their idle PCs in exchange for rewards. Salad says users have earned what is equivalent to more than $5 million in rewards, and that its platform has quickly become the world's most distributed super-computer. Bob Miles, founder and CEO of Salad, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Cannabis producer Cresco Labs is acquiring rival Columbia Care in a $2 billion all-stock deal, creating the largest U.S. cannabis company by sales. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, is one of the biggest in the industry's history and would make Cresco the dominant player in a market projected to reach $46 billion in revenue by 2026. Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Sports betting has boomed over the past year; but at the same time, sports betting stocks have not been so hot. Now, some sports betting brands are starting to rethink how to spend their money, especially when it comes to ads. It will come after online sports betting brands spent more than $320 million on advertising in 2021, up 38% from 2020, per MediaRadar. Brendan Coffey, sports finance reporter for Sportico, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Rowing-machine maker, Hydrow, raised $55 million in Series D funding round, led by Constitution Capital. Hyrdow offers a connected rowing machine that costs $2,495. The company's funding round comes as the at-home fitness industry is facing some challenges, due to many consumers returning to gyms after working out at home during the pandemic. Bruce Smith, founder & CEO of Hydrow, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec, explains the two major problems associated with paying public figures in crypto, and how his firm is best-suited to help facilitate payments within the growing industry.
