AI and the Workforce: Copilots or Competitors? with Jeremy Kahn, AI Editor at Fortune

10/30/24 • 47 min

The transformative potential of AI is going to affect all of us, regardless of what industry you’re in. While AI has the capability to democratize high-demand professions through specialized copilots, it also presents potential positive and negative societal impacts, including misinformation and political discourse manipulation. Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at the evolution of AI copilots tailored for specific professional fields and the need for critical thinking and transparent AI systems to ensure ethical deployment and improved outcomes in sectors like healthcare and finance.

There’s a growing need for federal guidelines to prevent fragmented AI governance (think the EU AI Act). However, differing approaches to regulations across regions can lead to unbalanced directives. Politics are also influencing this new AI landscape. From potential deregulatory pushes under a Trump administration to sustained regulatory efforts under a Harris-led government, AI regulation will look different depending on who wins the US election. And it’s not just politics, total war is a significant worry when it comes to the use of AI. From military strategies to disrupting democracy, AI has the power to impact innovation, ethics, politics, and society. Satyen sits down with Jeremy to discuss his book Mastering AI, the importance of AI regulations, and the impact of AI on the job market.

--------

“In the US, we have this issue where the states are starting to take action because of the lack of action by the federal government and I think that's problematic. I don't think you want a system where you have every state with its own AI act and different laws to comply with in every state. I do think we need to have some action at the federal level. When we're going to see that happen, I don't know, because there has been a lot of lack of will. Even though there was some bipartisan efforts in Congress that looked like they were maybe going to pay off last year. I think there's some agreement on both sides of the aisle that there should be some rules and regulation passed around AI.” – Jeremy Kahn

--------

Time Stamps

*(02:37): The future of AI: A boon for the middle class, a threat to democracy

*(12:18): The case for federal AI regulation in the US

*(20:11): The impact of the US election on AI regulations

*(30:29): What is the Pigouvian or robot tax?

*(36:39): What is total war? How will AI play a role?

*(46:35): Takeaways

--------

Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Alation.

Learn more: