00:00Well, let's discuss this more. Alexandra Ebert is an artificial intelligence expert and policy advisor.
00:06Alexandra, great to speak to you. So lots of stats there about the threat of AI.
00:10What is your take on that and who is it most likely to impact in terms of jobs?
00:16Well, I think the most important thing to mention is that we have a lot of hype around AI technology
00:21and we must not forget whenever we see one of these headlines that particularly the AI labs like OpenAI and
00:27Thropic
00:28are seeking to IPO and therefore have quite some big business incentives to exaggerate what is actually there.
00:35When we look more closely into the impact that AI is having on the job market, you cited a few
00:40sources,
00:41but overall there's quite some gray area on which jobs were actually and can be replaced by AI as of
00:49now
00:50versus where was it more the kind of media-friendly and investor-friendly statement from business leaders to say,
00:57OK, we may be overhired or the political and economic climate is harsh, but we're saying we're also innovative
01:03and therefore it's suddenly AI layoffs. So I think that's one of the most important things to remember.
01:09But of course, this should not make small the risks that are associated with AI and its impact on the
01:15job market overall.
01:16China has issued these guidelines about AI and the workplace, calling for a people-centered approach.
01:22Do you see other countries doing the same thing?
01:25We're definitely seeing AI being on the radar of many different parts of the world,
01:30being those different nations, being that economic unions like European Union.
01:34What I do like on a first look on these opinions that were issued is that they take a quite
01:39holistic approach.
01:40On the one hand, they look into how to protect workers' rights,
01:43but they also look into how to create economic opportunity, particularly for small, medium and micro enterprises,
01:49which we know are the backbone of many economies.
01:52And I think this holistic approach is something that I applaud and that I like to see in many more
01:57countries,
01:58because China historically had a strength in making sure that different departments,
02:04different governmental units from the different levels work together quite nicely.
02:08And looking at the state of the policy, this seems like a quite impactful approach,
02:13looking at new jobs that need to be created, looking at upskilling opportunities,
02:18but also looking at the risks and how to ensure well-being of workers in this new and changing environment.
02:25Yeah, you mentioned there about upskilling opportunities and new jobs.
02:28So could this be an opportunity?
02:30How, when people are perhaps worried about their job going forward,
02:35how can they best, whether it's integrate AI or learn more about it,
02:38into their role to ensure more job security?
02:42Well, that's the million-dollar question.
02:44I think there are different paths to answer this.
02:46What can the individual do?
02:47What can organizations do?
02:48And what can governments and nations do?
02:50I think, in general, when we think on the company and government layer,
02:55it's very important to figure out how we can actually use all of this new technology
03:00to create actual economic progress and to create innovation,
03:04as opposed to just cost-saving or pseudo-productivity,
03:07which is still a question mark when we look more closely
03:10or try to look more closely into the current AI practices of organizations.
03:15For example, there was a landmark study by Stanford looking into AI work-slop,
03:20finding that the way generative AI currently is used within an organization
03:24can actually lead to losses of, I think it was about $10 million US for 10,000 employees,
03:31because it's just pseudo-productivity and not actual impact.
03:34So I think that's one super important aspect to actually make sure
03:38that the technology does what it says it does
03:41and that we create new innovation and not just more busy work for everybody
03:45where we have only the impression of productivity gains.
03:49When it comes to the individuals,
03:51the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report that you cited earlier
03:55states that some of the most in-demand skills are actually not only the kind of hard skills
04:01around AI, big data, and technologically related skills,
04:05but much more personal skills.
04:07For example, resilience, being able to not lose your focus
04:10and your cool, to say it like that,
04:13in an ever-changing and fast-paced environment.
04:16Alexandra, so sorry, I'd love to talk to you more about this.
04:19I'd just have to jump in there.
04:20Alexandra, Eva, thanks so much for your insights there,
04:22AI expert and policy advisor.
04:24And back to you, Sally.
04:25Thanks so much.
