Why Cutting Jobs with AI is So Last Season: Boosting Productivity the Humorous Way!

Karthik Karunakaran, Ph.D.
4 min readJul 4, 2023

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Hey there, business enthusiasts! Gather ‘round, because I’m about to spill the beans on a hot topic: AI and job elimination. Now, before you start waving your pink slips with glee, let me tell you this — your approach needs a serious upgrade. Trust me, you don’t want to be the Scrooge of the executive suite, desperately searching for ways to give your employees the boot. Instead, let’s explore a more enlightened path to success using the power of AI.

So, here’s the deal: Goldman Sachs recently released a report suggesting that AI could potentially axe a whopping 300 million jobs. Yep, you heard it right. That’s like a real-life robot apocalypse, minus the cool laser beams. Apparently, two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation, and they claim generative AI could take over a quarter of the workforce. Now, it’s possible that some short-sighted folks in the corner offices might see this as an opportunity to save money. But, my friends, the real smart money is on those who embrace AI to make their employees more productive. We’re not talking about cutting costs in half — nah, let’s double that productivity instead!

Sure, saving money is great. But thinking about tech as just a cost-saving tool is as limited as thinking avocados belong only on toast. Take a look at the tech trends of the past three decades: open source, cloud, and now AI. They all started with promises of saving money, but quickly became much more. It’s like buying a blender to make smoothies but realizing it can also whip up a killer margarita. In 2008, AWS proudly claimed to be the most cost-effective way to deliver your app, but by 2015, their CEO, Andy Jassy, revealed that what customers really cared about was agility. It’s like finding out the blender also makes perfect guacamole — mind-blowing!

Agility is the name of the game, my friends. And that’s where cloud, open source, and AI shine bright. They all work together to remove the friction from developers’ lives. Open source? It’s not just about being free to download — it’s about developers being able to access and use software without jumping through fiery hoops. And cloud? Well, it may or may not be cheaper, but who cares when it offers the kind of agility that can make your competitors go green with envy? We’re talking about speed, flexibility, and the ability to pivot like a figure skater on steroids. It’s all about making your employees’ lives easier, because, hey, they matter!

And when it comes to developers, AI is their new best friend. Just look at the wonders of generative AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot. They can revolutionize the software development experience. But hey, don’t go replacing all your developers with AI just yet! As Martin Heller wisely puts it, you can’t assume that code generated by AI is correct or efficient — unless you want your app to crash and burn like a robot with a broken circuit. So, let the AI handle 80% of the work, and let the developers tackle that glorious remaining 20%. It’s like the AI preps the ingredients, and the developers whip up a mouthwatering software soufflé.

But it’s not just developers who can benefit from AI magic. Customer service agents armed with AI tools have shown to be 14% more productive, resolving support issues like wizards with a wand. Now, hold your horses, folks. Don’t start thinking, “Great! Let’s fire 14% of our customer service agents!” That’s missing the point entirely. The goal isn’t to do the same amount of work with fewer people; it’s about empowering your team to do much better work. We’re talking about delivering higher-impact projects, not just churning out mindless tasks. AI buys your employees that precious time they need to dream up the next big thing.

So, my dear employers, listen up! AI is the secret sauce to boost your workforce’s productivity. And employees, take note! Whether you’re in customer service, development, or even copy editing (yes, copy editors deserve AI love too), it’s time to hop on the AI train. Experiment with ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, GitHub Copilot, or any other generative AI tools you can get your hands on. Don’t wait around like a procrastinating sloth — seize the opportunity to deliver more and better output right now!

And remember, folks, the future is bright, and it’s AI-powered. So let’s embrace it with open arms, a big smile, and a sense of humor that would make even the funniest AI algorithm crack up. Cheers to productivity and laughs, my friends!

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