Bears. Beets. Bias! AI Apocalypse and the Fight for Jobs: A Schrute Farms Perspective

False. Artificial Intelligence Is Not the Enemy

As Assistant Regional Manager (and Volunteer Sheriff's Deputy) I Dwight K. Schrute have always prepared for the future. And the future is now and it is Artificial Intelligence. Some so called "experts" are wringing their hands about robots taking our jobs like Michael Scott trying to manage a crisis. Baloney! AI is simply another tool like my beet harvester or my extensive knowledge of survival techniques. It's about adapting people! Like identifying a bear from a safe distance one must identify an opportunity from the face of a threat. As Sun Tzu said “The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…” and I would say AI IS the logistics.

Tsunami of Change or Opportunity for Glory?

This 'Pedro Uria Recio' fellow from CIMB Group talks about a “huge wave of change” and people being left behind. Sounds like a load of compost! I say use that wave to your advantage! Learn new skills! Master the AI! Become the AI whisperer! (Note: Actual whispering to AI is not recommended. Machines do not respect weakness.) Meanwhile Tomasz Kurczyk at Prudential Singapore suggests 'protecting employment might not be the right mindset'. This man speaks truth. We must adapt. Just like I adapted when Jim Halpert tried to replace me with a machine (that was a *very* sophisticated prank). I will rise above. Always.

The Rise of the Machines and the Fall of the Weak

Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in 2022 everyone’s gone mad for AI! “AI first but keeping humans in the loop,” says Uria Recio. Good advice! Like ensuring your scarecrow is effective but still appreciating the natural beauty of your beet crop. But what about ethics? This Kurczyk fellow is concerned about AI bias. Bias? I laugh in the face of bias! (Loudly of course so it is heard). The algorithm merely reflects human decisions so it is the people we must watch out for. If the computer asks you to do something illegal it is not the computer's fault. Blame the programmer.

PowerPoint is Useless But AI Not So Much

According to this Microsoft Trend Index 82% of leaders are ready to unleash the digital labor and 78% may hire AI specific roles. Interesting. Upskilling is a priority for 47% (a respectable number) but 33% are considering headcount reductions! A dark omen! But Schrute Farms is prepared. We will not be replaced by robots! Because no robot can match the dedication the sheer *grit* required to harvest beets in the face of adversity. Not even ChatGPT. But they can assist us in our goal of harvesting the best beets!

Bias is Not a Bug. It's a...Feature?

Kurczyk raises a valid point: “AI is able to take data and accelerate the bias at light speed.” The data is created by humans and humans are flawed. So the data inherits our bias. This is why I Dwight K. Schrute am a superior decision maker. My judgments are based on logic experience and a healthy dose of instinct. Though as the Safety Manager I must stress to all that we strive for fairness. Even when someone like Jim puts mayonnaise in my coffee.

The Future is Here and It Involves Beets (and Probably AI)

Despite the doom and gloom Kurczyk believes AI will be available to everyone. And I believe that too! It could lead to a revival of artisanal work which I fully support. Give people the ability to create new things for the world. Maybe even...beet themed AI generated art! But remember education government and corporations must work together to avoid propagating inequalities. It is a joint effort...like the volunteer sheriff's department during a hostage situation. And speaking of new careers CNBC is offering some online course for people to "be happier at work". This is ridiculous. Work doesn't need to be happy. It needs to be efficient! But hey I'm not against learning new things. After all I still don't know how to operate the espresso machine.