Harmeen Mehta, the leader of BT’s systems division, has counseled employees facing job insecurity due to AI to embrace their circumstances as a natural “evolution,” likening it to the transition from animals to automobiles.
In an interview with the business publication Raconteur, Singh remarked, “I’m uncertain how horses reacted to the advent of the automobile, but they did not fret about being terminated or going on strike.”
She emphasized that change is an inherent part of evolution, with jobs evolving, new roles emerging, and some becoming obsolete.
Mehta criticized the portrayal of AI in the UK media, suggesting that the fear-mongering narrative is hindering its widespread acceptance and adoption, drawing parallels to the transition from horse-drawn transportation to gas-powered vehicles in the late 19th century.
Anna Thomas, the producer and co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Job think tank, dismissed Mehta’s analogy, asserting that comparing workers to “beasts of burden” is fundamentally flawed. Thomas highlighted the importance of involving workers in the integration of AI to foster job growth and improve job quality.
Mary Towers, the TUC’s AI lead, contended that it is not the fear of job displacement but rather corporate monopolies and lack of regulation that stifle innovation and creativity in the face of advancing technologies.
BT’s announcement that over 40% of its global workforce, amounting to 55,000 jobs, will be automated by AI by 2030 has sparked concerns about job security, particularly in the UK where more than half of the cuts are expected to occur.
Mehta urged UK workers to adapt and prepare for the changing landscape, emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility in navigating the evolving job market.
The ongoing debate surrounding AI’s impact on employment culminated in Elon Musk’s recent assertion at a leadership AI conference that a future may arise where human labor becomes obsolete.
