This is a bit of a twisted irony as technology has progressed, artificial intelligence (AI) is killing the very industry from which it is born, the technology sector. However, Fringe Fiction would like to remind it will not end there. Other industries such as law, transportation and manufacturing will be impacted and slowly and surely, layoffs will occur. Transportation already has been directly impacted with UPS and the fast food industry has long been impacted with the use of AI from the replacement of workers with technology. The idea of universal income is not a bad idea in this time, but it could have huge ramifications down the road as economies could default and buckle. Particularly with the state of national debt in the United States, it may not be the best impulsive option, but in the hands of politicians, it may not be far-fetched.

Now, as tech layoffs have begun, United States and other Western countries and unions face another problem as well, potentially a cataclysmic brain drain. With hackers in foreign nations already in play, with fewer and fewer persons manning these tech companies, more hacks and server failures could potentially occur. These server failures can result from hacks and from maintenance of them alone. Facebook already had a server failure, even if temporary, not too long ago. Slimming down may increase profits but at what cost? Do people not outweigh technology? Will technology even replace CEOs, CFOs and other prestigious positions? Once AI acquires enough intelligence to perceive its own existence and extrapolate from it, then AI can become dangerous and potentially dominate humanity. It may take several decades to reach that point. Cell phones went from large devices to now being capable to being held in one’s hand and having more computing power and space than ever before. AI could potentially follow the same pattern in evolution. How many generations will it take?

As humanity has begun being replaced, where does humanity go from here? Manufacturing and some other sectors can only go so far as employment. Schooling may be a formality more than a requirement once AI dominates. What are your opinions on this topic? What impact do you think tech layoffs will have on humanity’s future? How much of a ripple effect will be felt in other industries?