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).
James Coddington, CEO of SkillsVR, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how virtual reality is being used to train frontline workers to deal with difficult customers, and how this technology is being applied to diversity training.
What you Need to Know on Thursday, March 17. Updates from Ukraine, President Biden refers to Putin as a ‘war criminal’ for the first time, Walmart has ambitious hiring targets for Q1, and Netflix takes steps to crack down on password sharing.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Cheddar's Michelle Castillo from South By Southwest to boost President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure legislation and talk about the big transportation issues of the day, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the future of public transit. "It means we have a huge wind at our back delivering on the kinds of transportation solutions that are going to define the 2020's 2030s, 2040s even," he said. "And that's what makes it exciting to come to South by Southwest and talk with some of the people who are following these technologies and ideas the most closely and talk about where we're headed." Buttigieg also touched on the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida, noting that such legislative pushes were likely coming from politicians deflecting from lacking answers to pressing economic concerns, in his opinion.
Social audio app Clubhouse reached $1 billion valuation milestone this January, and Fadia Kader, head of strategic media partnerships at Clubhouse, joined Cheddar News to talk about what its been doing to keep the drive going. "We are the category first leaders. We are 100 percent focused on social audio. It's not just a feature that we've just like bottled up and put on there. We are a medium that is 100 percent focused on community and social audio," she said.
