Will AI take your job? Or will it transform the way you work? | 60 Minutes
Some Americans are working to improve artificial intelligence, teaching it the skills and knowledge accrued over the course of a career.
This past week in Washington, America's tech leaders met with President Trump to discuss the future of humanity, specifically whether artificial intelligence (AI) will mark the end of civilization as we know it. However, a related and more immediate concern is whether AI will take away our jobs. In the past year, U.S. companies have cited AI as the primary reason for layoffs. AI does not sleep or take sick days, raising questions about the transformative impact of this technology on the workforce.
In a nondescript office in downtown San Francisco, 20-somethings are designing the future of the workplace. Mercor, a leader in a booming industry centered around supercharging AI, has grown from a team of 20 to 400 employees in San Francisco, with CEO Brendan Foody now a 23-year-old billionaire. Foody and his co-founders, high school friends, recognized the potential of AI when ChatGPT was released four years ago. To enhance AI capabilities, they hired over 100,000 freelancers, humans with expertise in various fields.
These freelancers train AI models in areas such as finance, architecture, and poetry. For instance, Shawna Miller, a winemaker, helps AI accurately interpret laboratory results. Robbie Hiser, a music producer, trains AI to generate song lyrics, providing feedback on different versions. Melania Poonacha, a physician, trains AI to accurately interpret laboratory results.
While some worry that AI might replace human workers, Foody believes that AI will augment human expertise, making workers more productive. He envisions a future where AI helps solve critical issues like cancer and climate change, and workers are freed from mundane tasks.
However, others have concerns about AI potentially endangering human jobs. Kim Herlihy, a trial lawyer at a law firm in Columbus, Ohio, uses AI to assist in preparing opening statements for court cases. Although AI cannot speak or provide human-like responses, it can generate draft statements that Herlihy can refine. This collaboration between humans and AI allows for more efficient and accurate legal work.
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various industries, the question remains whether it will replace human workers or augment their capabilities, ultimately creating a more productive and innovative workforce.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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