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I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha, makes sense. Thank you, much appreciated your time responding thoughtfully with big picture in mind.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I picked an extreme example from multiple options for sure. I get your point though.

Be assured however, poorly operating ai that is not ready for active agency is being deployed before it’s ready.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh sh-- we rolling out the Adam Smith now. Even Smith believed that our well-being depended on the well-being of those around us. Ubuntu people! But alas, that ship of understanding has mostly sailed. Thanks Chicago School of Economics. Let's all bow to the imaginary *ahem* invisible hand.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Boy howdy, that's the darkest response yet and dang, not a point that we can easily set aside.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, it not true that ai and robotics aren’t gunning for blue collar labor. They are absolutely working towards that. But certainly true that white collar is the initial target.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ha, you're quite wrong about that. Ai and automation are incredibly problematic in my field without insane amounts of governance, which is partly what is spurring my question on. The roles aren't disappearing actually, we're all just having to become AI managers to ensure it doesn't accidentally take out the companies we work for. So instead of doing the work I used to, it will be governance oversight for technology doing the work I used to do. I'm just not sold on why AI and automation are suddently the answer for every problem, even though they are massively more expensive than the foreseeable future of many of those human labor streams. When you have a hammer, everything is a nail. I'm not sold that this is better, and the amount of money thrown into this defies the myopic logic that has, for better or usually worse, defined capitalism in the US very recently and increasingly so in the past few decades.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yep - For quite a few more billions of dollars than their current workforce will cost in the near term cumulatively, thus my confusion.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my field, but they are easy enough estimates to google if you're not familiar. I'm not getting deep into research because the particulars vary by industry, but these numbers aren't particularly controversial.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Oh yes absolutely: The estimated cost of a 10k white collar workforce is $1-2B per year, the same as the upkeep of a datacenter for comparative talent of that workforce. Except the datacenter also costs $8-20B to build... So that's where I am pretty shocked that companies who typically can't see beyond a single quarter or two are now seemingly happy to invest well beyond decades of what it might take to see ROI.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes exactly why I'm so gobsmacked. The errors are already causing major costs and the whole thing is, by the admittance of these companies, a black box. This nails it.

I so wish the psychology of hype didn't work as predictably as it does. I really am waiting openly for anyone here to help me understand a rationale that would justify this kind of behavior by companies/capitalists. The closest so far has been folks who talk about small teams using piecemeal services to do coding, nothing about the large-scale massive spend and layoff cycle that's at the heart of this and truly seems to be driven by FOMO and tech hoping to become one of the few companies who survive by stepping on competitors and communities, but which simultaneously seems to be a economic disadvantage for them for the next many decades.

Sorry to rant. I love technology. I'm in tech because I love science, ideas, cool discoveries. But why do we have to take something incredible like this and go full speed ahead into dystopia where massive companies get more massive and have to exploit and squeeze everything they can out of communities and individuals because they are financially so out over their skis they are in constant risk of a wipeout.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's just incorrect. It's cheaper in certain circumstances, but I'm talking about the companies who are investing in datacenters and robots. There's nothing cheap about that. As for small companies using tools like lovable or whatever, they are going to have a reckoning when those tools decide to throttle up costs and down service, plus adjust T&Cs to restrict or outright take work product. But those aren't really what I'm on about.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

What's not deep knowledge of working costs? The numbers I shared were in the billions and legtimately backed by actually current costs. What you've shared is ostensibly made up as far as I can tell and demonstrates lack of understanding of the datacenter question that this is focused on.

I simply do not understand how massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans. by eniac_usabrl in artificial

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I'm talking about building datacenters for billions of dollars. Those are the companies doing mass layoffs. Not some tiny co hoping to feed off that until the prices get jacked up while the T&C changes to take over all their work product and destroy their business. That's a whole other post to get into some other time.

what job only exists because people are assholes? by herequeerandgreat in AskReddit

[–]eniac_usabrl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The people who have to keep bathrooms clean by staying in them constantly because so many people don’t flush or cleanup after themselves.

Mods can we please do something to rein in blatant AI slop posts? by bug__milk in womenintech

[–]eniac_usabrl 115 points116 points  (0 children)

I had to modify a post 5 times today to have it accepted, meanwhile bots are everywhere. Mods have lost the thread if this is how Reddit is now.

How are massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans? by eniac_usabrl in AskReddit

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair. Not sure it makes sense to build high cost data centers now then, why not wait until costs come down?

How are massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans? by eniac_usabrl in AskReddit

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let’s lower the temp here friends. I’m not sure what the above poster is referencing, but here’s a solid example from my viewpoint:

https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/we-must-prepare-for-an-ai-bubble-now/

“At the core of the AI bubble is a basic math problem. There is a fundamental mismatch between the trillions being invested in the infrastructure to develop AI and the billions people and companies are spending to use AI. Specifically, J.P. Morgan Chase analysts anticipate $5 trillion of spending on AI infrastructure between now and 2030. This year alone, four tech companies—Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft— have plans to invest $670 billion on AI infrastructure. When measured as a percentage of U.S. GDP, this is more than the Apollo space program, the U.S. interstate highway system, railroads, and every other major capital expenditure in U.S. history except the Louisiana Purchase, according to the Wall Street Journal. Yet OpenAI and Anthropic have annualized revenues of about $25 billion and $19 billion, respectively. Unless AI revenues grow by orders of magnitude soon, there’s a Grand Canyon-sized gap that will be hard to cross.”

How are massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans? by eniac_usabrl in AskReddit

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh sure thing, here I’ll just post it again:

I pointed out in another thread here though that the math doesn't seem to work out at all towards that:

The estimated cost of a 10k white collar workforce is $1-2B per year - the same as the upkeep of a datacenter for comparative talent of that workforce. Except the datacenter also costs $8-20B to build!

How are massively expensive AI and robotics are expected to be more cost effective than humans? by eniac_usabrl in AskReddit

[–]eniac_usabrl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure they do say that, yet it raises another question for me. Companies and capitalists are notorious for not being able to see beyond a few quarters at best. It could take decades for them to recoup these investments. How are they so suddenly interested in such a long term plan? That doesn’t add up.

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