As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we depend almost entirely on grassroots donations. Please consider making a donation.
Subscribe here and join over 13,000 subscribers to our free weekly newsletter

AI absolutism is breaking our brains. The apocalyptic future we’re being sold isn’t inevitable
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of The Guardian

Illustration: Guardian Design / Getty Images

The Guardian, June 11, 2026
Posted: June 17th, 2026
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/11/ai-absolu...

AI is projected to generate nearly unfathomable amounts of revenue. Any mention of AI tends to be accompanied by warnings that deeper jobs cuts across many more industries are coming for us all. Jensen Huang, CEO of chip giant Nvidia, said in 2025: “Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable. You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.” Increasingly, people young and old flock to a new gold rush in Silicon Valley to toil away on AI-fueled startups. If AI’s worst-case scenario for tech jobs plays out ... that’s still nowhere near the apocalyptic future of labor that many fear. “Is it, in fact, going to destroy all of the jobs?” Naidu asked. “I’m not convinced. Even take software. Software is only about 4 to 6% of GDP. So it’s a lot, but it’s not like the whole economy can be replaced by Claude Code.” Convincing people that AI will replace human workers in droves is a clever marketing tactic. Not only does it stoke rabid investor speculation, but it distracts from a more realistic application of AI: to surveil and micromanage employees to squeeze yet more productivity out of them, all the while pressuring them to feel grateful that they have any kind of work. Gig workers, the people who pick you up in Ubers and deliver your food on platforms like DoorDash, have already been the guinea pigs for this kind of algorithmic management, and labor experts predict it will spread.

Note: For more along these lines, read our concise summaries of news articles on AI and media manipulation.


Latest News


Key News Articles from Years Past