BERLIN/VANCOUVER – The public debate about the future of artificial intelligence often focuses on two main concerns: the technology’s broader impact on humanity, and its immediate effects on individuals. For the most part, people want to know how automation will transform work. Which industries will still be around tomorrow? And whose job is on the line today?

But the debate has overlooked an important pillar of society: the family. If we are going to build AI systems that will help solve, rather than exacerbate, pressing social and economic problems, we should remember that families comprise 89% of American households, and we should consider the complex pressures they face when deciding how to apply the technology.

After all, families in the United States are in desperate need of support. According to the World Economic Forum, America’s $6 trillion care economy is at risk of collapsing, owing to labor shortages, administrative burdens, and a broken market model whereby most families cannot afford the full cost of care and workers are chronically underpaid. Moreover, parenthood has changed: more parents are working, and demands on their time, from caring for children and aging parents to managing information overload and coordinating household tasks, have intensified.

QOSHE - Can AI Improve Family Life? - Anne-Marie Slaughter
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Can AI Improve Family Life?

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27.05.2024

BERLIN/VANCOUVER – The public debate about the future of artificial intelligence often focuses on two main concerns: the technology’s broader impact on humanity, and its immediate effects on individuals. For the most part, people want to know how automation will transform work. Which industries will still be around tomorrow? And........

© Project Syndicate


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