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).
Reusable rocket developer Stoke Space Technologies raised $65 million in a Series A round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a firm founded by Bill Gates. Stoke says its reusable rockets provide the satellite industry with low-cost, on-demand access to and from orbit. As companies like SpacX and Blue Origin are also making commitments to rocket reusability, Stoke says it is taking a different approach with a system designed to be 100% reusable, comprised of rockets designed to fly daily, like an airplane. Stoke co-founder and CEO Andy Lapsa joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Humans are set to return to a place we have not been in nearly 50 years: the moon. NASA's Artemis program is expected to have astronauts back on the lunar surface by 2025. NASA says it will use what it learns on the moon to take the next giant leap - sending the first astronauts to Mars. The Artemis program also includes contributions from private companies like SpaceX, as well as academic research institutions like Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech professor of practice and former NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus joins Future of Space: Humankind's Leap Forward to discuss.
Global delivery service FedEx just received the first five of an order of 500 light commercial electric vehicles from GM's BrightDrop brand. Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer for FedEx, joined Cheddar to discuss the deployment of the EV600 delivery vehicles, if the new fleet will get the company to carbon neutrality by 2040, and how cost-effective they might be. "We've been working with electric vehicles for 10 years, and what we've find over that time frame is that we save over half of our operational and maintenance costs with the use of EVs over internal combustion engines, "Jackson said. "So they're economically viable."
Matt Faubion, Wealth Manager and Investment Adviser at Faubion Wealth Management, joins Cheddar to break down the pros and cons to gifting and receiving investments, like stock or cryptocurrency, as a gift this holiday season.
Trip.com is now adding Hopper's price freeze feature for its users. The feature will help travelers save money by protecting them from pricing volatility when booking their next trip. The company is the first online travel agency to partner with Hopper's B2B initiative, Hopper Cloud. Dakota Smith, chief strategy officer at Hopper, joins Cheddar News to walk us through the feature and how the company is addressing Omicorn concerns.
Ahead of the new year, award-winning journalist and TV anchor Soledad O'Brien and financial expert Jean Chatzky are teaming up to launch a brand-new podcast called "Everyday Wealth," aimed at helping listeners unlock their financial potential. O'Brien and Chatzky joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss which topics to expect, as well as the importance of financial literacy. "I think what I'm good at is asking uncomfortable questions," said O'Brien, detailing how the podcast might stand out from others. "And sometimes when it comes to talking about money, a lot of those questions are uncomfortable."
As companies figure out how to adapt to the ever-changing COVID world, mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. A new report from PwC reveals 2021 saw the most megadeals, transactions of at least $5 billion, in the U.S. Colin Wittmer, PwC's U.S. deals leader, tells Cheddar how companies can set themselves up for deals success.
The last year saw a massive uptick in CEO turnover, with over 1,200 chief executives leaving their posts in 2021. According to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the main reasons cited were talent management, retention, hiring, and reimagining the workplace post-covid. Andrew Challenger, Senior Vice President, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
