It Might Be Real

I've covered some AI-taking-jobs related stories over the past couple years (and one on how to fight back). This time, the Wall Street Journal runs a piece speculating that IT unemployment writ large is affected by AI. IT unemployment stands at 5.7% versus the overall rate of 4%. Compare that to a September report of 6% versus 4.2%, and it seems clear that something is going on.

Victor Janulaitis is the one making the AI connection in the article. He says that right now the jobs being cut are "routine and mundane, such as reporting, clerical administration", but that employers are also "looking at reducing the number of programmers, system designers" as they investigate AI further. Some are taking a strategy of simply not hiring new workers - calling it "cost avoidance".

Like it or not, fellow nerds, the people writing the checks are looking for ways to reduce costs. You may object that that's always been true - but this is different. AI can't currently replace a whole human, but the list of tasks it can automate grows by the day. Will our nerdy jobs bend and shift to accommodate? PM