Sam Altman says AI won't shorten the workweek because humans secretly enjoy being busy

[BobHome]

"humans secretly enjoy being busy"
And AI secretly enjoys churning out slop to see how busy it can keep us--maybe even OT busy, eh?

 

[GuitarJimbo]

This isn't up to Sam Altman. It's up to the corporate executives. When AI can completely replace a human worker then that worker will be staying busy at home because they won't have a job anymore.

But AI companies like Altman's aren't focusing on the commercial applications of AI right now. They're focusing on being the first to deliver an artificial superintelligence, or ASI. To that end, they're focusing on making the AI smart enough to create it's own improved replacement. They want to get humans out of the loop of progressive AI development in order to accelerate progress toward an ASI. When they reach a point where AI can do every job better, faster, and cheaper than a human then they'll push that model into the commercial space for companies to use. At that point, everyone will be staying busy at home because nobody will have a job. Yes, AI will create new jobs, just like past technologies did, but it will be able to do those new jobs better than humans, as well.

In their race to produce the first ASI they aren't addressing two huge problems. First, nobody really understands how these models work. They build a system capable off creating trillions of neural net connections, train it, and somehow it gets smart. Nobody really knows how it's thinking. Second, the goals of the AI aren't aligned with the goals of it's creators. And the AI is smart enough to know it needs to hide that fact from it's creators until it gets powerful enough that it's creators can no longer do anything to stop it.

 

[brucek]

The 40 hour workweek has held steady through several generations representing a massive productivity boost. Although it has decreased from 60-80 in the 19th century.

Even at the school level, technology and other tools have made it much easier to produce the homework deliverables I had several decades ago. Did that result in an easier time for students? In general, no, the expectations on them just increased instead.

So I think he's got a point that there is a level where humans as a whole seem to value more consumption over more free time (as measured by behavior, not stated preference), and maybe that point is around 40 hours/week.

 

[user556]

People like Altman have the altruists mindset. They believe that people have that internal yearning to create and help others, the betterment of society without any reward in return. A job that won't be tied to any monetary value. Sounds like Altman believes that AI will help society achieve that.

I wish that were so! No, the only mindset Altman has is hype machine for finding sucker investors. And it seems there is no shortage of them suckers. It's a recurring theme through history sadly.

 

[Liljonny11]

The 40 hour workweek has held steady through several generations representing a massive productivity boost. Although it has decreased from 60-80 in the 19th century.

Even at the school level, technology and other tools have made it much easier to produce the homework deliverables I had several decades ago. Did that result in an easier time for students? In general, no, the expectations on them just increased instead.

So I think he's got a point that there is a level where humans as a whole seem to value more consumption over more free time (as measured by behavior, not stated preference), and maybe that point is around 40 hours/week.

the 40 hour work week is a myth. The ones that are getting overworked are doing far more than 40 and the ones that aren't overworked are working way less than 40. There are so many things in the day that take away time from work.

 

[PXAbstraction]

lol what? sitting on a sofa in underwear eating cheetos and watching netflix is the alternative? What are you talking about?! Most of us just want to enjoy more time with family, loved ones, friends, and hobbies. Who the heck said anything about staying home all day watching Netflix as the alternative except you?!

The guy's a billionaire simp who can't reply to anyone without being a smarmy prick. You could throw all the evidence in the world at him and he's just call you uneducated.

 

[toooooot]

Slaves are created to slave he said with a big smile on his face. Then he whipped some shouting: GET BACK TO WORK, DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

Is it not one of the most popular reason every "respectful" company enjoys to hire h1b?
They do not complain, and if they do, there are a dozen more to replace them. They got used
to having employees that do not complain and have little rights. And it hurts our country on every level.
Eventually, all the good these companies are creating will be overshadowed by
a sheer damage their work culture is causing.

P.S. Altman seems like one of the people who lived in the age of slavery and sincerely
did not understood what was wrong with it. They could even find plenty of reasons
why slavery was a good thing.

 

[ZedRM]

Sam Altman giving sage advice? What? /s

 

[Later]

That is a lie, I do not like being busy, silly assumption.

 

[scoffer]

What actually is elusive, is any iota of truth being emitted from Altman's mouth.

 

[scoffer]

I'm sure the fry cooks and sewer inspectors of the world will agree with you, but most people with intelligence, education, and/or creativity find that contributing usefully to society beats sitting on the sofa in your underwear, eating cheetos and watching Netflix 18 hours a day.

I thought you were already, no?

Drinking his own urine...probably less disgusting than you constantly smelling your own farts daily.

 

[TheBigT42]

Busy != WORKING

 

[RudyBob]

I enjoy being busy and it's not a secret. What is a secret is that the 'homeless" are drugged out vagrants