Economist: correlation between AI and unemployment unmistakable

Rising concerns about technological unemployment now have some empirical backing: countries that are more intensive users of artificial intelligence have recently seen faster increases in unemployment, particularly since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. This pattern is visible in Scandinavia and several smaller EU economies, while countries adopting AI more slowly have seen stable or falling unemployment. Research cited by economists, including Erik Brynjolfsson, suggests AI is already reducing junior-level jobs, especially where tasks can be fully automated, while senior roles remain relatively protected.

However, the article argues this does not yet amount to mass technological unemployment. Demographic labor shortages, cyclical economic factors, long-term job creation driven by technology, and the Jevons paradox all suggest AI will reshape jobs rather than eliminate work altogether — though short-term disruptions, especially for young workers, require policy attention.

(pb.pl)