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by tensility 352 days ago
As more waves of layoffs happen due to AI, there will likely be a growing market for "No AI" products, especially given how nasty some of the C suite are being about that short-sighted "unemploying humanity" objective they are being explicit about.
1 comments

I recently confirmed that people have been fired this year for not using AI products in their work. The exec's reasoning: it's like hiring a carpenter that refuses to use power tools.

Never mind that the analogy makes little sense. We're not in the realm of enhancing labour power with additional tools to make us more productive. We're deep into alienation and exploitation. All of this added productivity and you'll continue working the same hours or more while your colleagues are laid off and let go. No labourer will see the additional profits from this increased, "productivity." Those let go aren't going to be protected from losing their homes and careers.

I’ve witnessed more people having breakdowns in this wonderfully productive world our glorious tech leaders are creating from overwork than at any other time in my career. And they’re all using AI extensively and are smart people. It turns out laying off team after team still leaves a lot of work to do and they’re using constant threats to keep people working endless nights and weekends to up the pieces from the endless chaos they are causing. Their calculations for how productive AI makes people is completely wrong.

Tech just feels sinister right now and without any ounce of shame or self reflection.

I’ve said it elsewhere, but the lack of dignity we have in our profession has never been more apparent.

Tech still is rife with temporarily not-yet-founders who cling to not rocking the boat.

What do you do when the boat capsizes?