https://nypost.com/2025/07/14/opinion/white-collar-workers-displaced-by-ai-could-spark-a-revolution/
Disruption factor
The American laptop class is a political powder keg. As the comfortable jobs they were promised become harder to land, and the self-validating stories they told themselves of their own value come unwound, competition will become fierce.
As more and more of them end up on the losing side, Occupy Wall Street may look like a mild preview of what’s to come.
How long will this all take? If we have decades to adapt, older workers will have time to learn new skills while younger workers can adjust their own career paths. New industries can spring forward to use the labor no longer dedicated to litigating in court, speculating in markets and posting on social media.
But if the disruption happens more quickly, we risk creating millions of displaced knowledge workers who will have not only the skills and networks, but also the time and motivation to organize a radical political movement.
Predictions about what’s to come are mostly educated guesses, drawing on history and an expectation that the lines on the graph will continue to go up.
This is not enough.
Policymakers cannot neither rest comfortably in Sam Altman’s promises of utopia, nor overreact to overwrought warnings with regulation that short-circuits valuable innovation that may take decades to deploy, nor simply wait and see what happens.
https://nypost.com/2025/07/14/opinion/white-collar-workers-displaced-by-ai-could-spark-a-revolution/
Disruption factor
The American laptop class is a political powder keg. As the comfortable jobs they were promised become harder to land, and the self-validating stories they told themselves of their own value come unwound, competition will become fierce.
As more and more of them end up on the losing side, Occupy Wall Street may look like a mild preview of what’s to come.
How long will this all take? If we have decades to adapt, older workers will have time to learn new skills while younger workers can adjust their own career paths. New industries can spring forward to use the labor no longer dedicated to litigating in court, speculating in markets and posting on social media.
But if the disruption happens more quickly, we risk creating millions of displaced knowledge workers who will have not only the skills and networks, but also the time and motivation to organize a radical political movement.
Predictions about what’s to come are mostly educated guesses, drawing on history and an expectation that the lines on the graph will continue to go up.
This is not enough.
Policymakers cannot neither rest comfortably in Sam Altman’s promises of utopia, nor overreact to overwrought warnings with regulation that short-circuits valuable innovation that may take decades to deploy, nor simply wait and see what happens.
A revolution of the bourgeoisie.
https://nypost.com/2025/07/14/opinion/white-collar-workers-displaced-by-ai-could-spark-a-revolution/
Disruption factor
The American laptop class is a political powder keg. As the comfortable jobs they were promised become harder to land, and the self-validating stories they told themselves of their own value come unwound, competition will become fierce.
As more and more of them end up on the losing side, Occupy Wall Street may look like a mild preview of what’s to come.
How long will this all take? If we have decades to adapt, older workers will have time to learn new skills while younger workers can adjust their own career paths. New industries can spring forward to use the labor no longer dedicated to litigating in court, speculating in markets and posting on social media.
But if the disruption happens more quickly, we risk creating millions of displaced knowledge workers who will have not only the skills and networks, but also the time and motivation to organize a radical political movement.
Predictions about what’s to come are mostly educated guesses, drawing on history and an expectation that the lines on the graph will continue to go up.
This is not enough.
Policymakers cannot neither rest comfortably in Sam Altman’s promises of utopia, nor overreact to overwrought warnings with regulation that short-circuits valuable innovation that may take decades to deploy, nor simply wait and see what happens.
The link answers itself. The laptop class don’t have the chops to think about a revolution let alone, let alone pull one off.
Now if AI were to eliminate the jobs of those who must show up, who can’t do their jobs from home, who spend their days with improvisation and problem solving, then I would be more concerned.
Only half kidding here. Those who work the dirty jobs will always have work. Those who can work at Starbucks with a keyboard have a problem, but those kinds of people are the least likely to be revolutionaries.
Im not sure you could be more wrong. Those are exactly the types that are most likely to be revolutionaries.Those who can work at Starbucks with a keyboard have a problem, but those kinds of people are the least likely to be revolutionaries.
Those who work the dirty jobs will always have work.
i think this is mostly true. it is crazy to think how much work AI can eliminate. i wouldn't be rushing out to get that marketing degree etc.
the one big thing about ai is that it doesn't build relationships. ive sat on a number of nonprofit boards. AI came up in the context of being able to do a lot of what a development person does. yes. they can create campaigns. complete grant apps etc. but so much of how a development person secures funding is predicated on building personal relationships. i think people in positions that interact with other people will never be replaced by AI
Those who work the dirty jobs will always have work.
i think this is mostly true. it is crazy to think how much work AI can eliminate. i wouldn't be rushing out to get that marketing degree etc.
the one big thing about ai is that it doesn't build relationships. ive sat on a number of nonprofit boards. AI came up in the context of being able to do a lot of what a development person does. yes. they can create campaigns. complete grant apps etc. but so much of how a development person secures funding is predicated on building personal relationships. i think people in positions that interact with other people will never be replaced by AI
It's kind of scary how good the AI is getting though. Elon says Grok 4 operates at a PHD level. Said he's able to run although the most complex problems he worked on from his materials science and engineering days and immediately get the correct answer almost every time. Some jobs will definitely go away.
It’s kind of scary how good the AI is getting though. Elon says Grok 4 operates at a PHD level. Said he’s able to run although the most complex problems he worked on from his materials science and engineering days and immediately get the correct answer almost every time. Some jobs will definitely go away.
That's both awesome and terrifying at the same time.
AI came up in the context of being able to do a lot of what a development person does. yes. they can create campaigns. complete grant apps etc. but so much of how a development person secures funding is predicated on building personal relationships. i think people in positions that interact with other people will never be replaced by AI
Absolutely. The big difference is that AI will make that developmental director able to get rid of an entire staff below her. Technically, for what I do, this is a boon. I've been operating lean for a long time. If AI can simply do all the discovery/doc review, etc. that I'd have to hire contract attorneys for in the past, that's amazing. Problem is, I'm not sure I want to keep doing this. Story of my life.
Problem is, I’m not sure I want to keep doing this. Story of my life.
of our crew of 7 law school brothers including cortez 1 practices law. the rest got the fck out. and they are all doing wildly different things including myself. all started at big firms. my advice no startups. too old son. take a job with a salary etc if you bolt
As early Gen-Xers I don't have much worry for the wife and I as we are both sunsetting out of the workforce completely in the next 5-7 years. I worry more for my kids approaching middle age and am wholly terrified of the world my grandkids will inherit.
Automation and technology (including AI) is evolving so quickly that I fear it outpacing our ability and/or willingness to adapt to it and in the process turning the traditional workforce on it's head. Combine that with world population expected to hit 10 billion in 50 years or so and I truly doubt that by the time the grandkids reach my age, that they will have had even half of the opportunities the wife and I had coming up through a career.
A good friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying "that was f***ing awesome"
@all4you definitely going to be a different world. i try to take solace in at least they'll all be in the same boat ish
The link answers itself. The laptop class don’t have the chops to think about a revolution let alone, let alone pull one off.
Now if AI were to eliminate the jobs of those who must show up, who can’t do their jobs from home, who spend their days with improvisation and problem solving, then I would be more concerned.
Only half kidding here. Those who work the dirty jobs will always have work. Those who can work at Starbucks with a keyboard have a problem, but those kinds of people are the least likely to be revolutionaries.
AI will absolutely eliminate jobs requiring improvisation and problem solving. Guaranteed. It will be faster, more efficient, and less error prone than humans at MOST things. Period.
How much can we reasonably increase productivity before it's no longer desirable or useful? How far can we drive down prices before the whole thing collapses on itself?
Believe me, it's not just the gig workers and start up bros at Starbucks. Most insurance adjusters will disappear. Sure, nobody cares but those are solid middle class jobs that provide a pathway to the uppler middle class for many with only a high school diploma or bachelor's degree. Same for most accounting jobs. All Tier 1/2 customer service/support jobs....gone.
@larsiu it's an incredible amount of jobs and people. if it comes to fruition at scale we will have to rework our entire system. basic guaranteed income etc.
AI 2027 says the impact AI will have in the next decade will be greater than that of the Industrial Revolution.
I think it’s probably time for us to start freaking out.
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