In a world increasingly captivated by the promise (or threat) of automation via artificial intelligence, it’s easy to see why the striking longshoremen were demanding more than just a wage increase. Like all workers, they want job security, a voice in their workplace and assurance that the future won't pass them by.
It is simple but foolhardy to require explicitly that employers eschew automation. It is doubtful that any industrial sector will be completely untouched by the advancement of automation and AI, and organizations that think they are the special exception will find themselves on the wrong end of the “creative destruction” process once described by Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter.
Luckily, there is a simple, effective way of embracing automation while promoting the interests and dignity of labor. Offering employees ownership in the organizations they work for could be the key to addressing workers’ concerns, particularly when the specter of automation looms large.
Automation tends to spark fear because it threatens livelihoods. It’s a faceless process that makes workers feel disposable, as if they are no more valuable than the machines poised to replace them. Offering striking........