'The AI Revolution's Next Casualty Could Be the Gig Economy' (yahoo.com)
- Reference: 0179833872
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/10/20/0616223/the-ai-revolutions-next-casualty-could-be-the-gig-economy
- Source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-revolutions-next-casualty-could-104501004.html
> Two stories this past week caught my eye. Uber unveiled [2]a new way for its drivers to earn money . No, not by giving rides, but by helping train the ride-sharing company's AI models instead. On the same day, Waymo announced a partnership with DoorDash to [3]test driverless grocery and meal deliveries .
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> Both moves point toward the same future: one where the very workers who built the gig economy may soon find themselves training the technology that replaces them.
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> Uber's new program allows drivers to earn cash by completing microtasks, such as taking photos and uploading audio clips, that aim to improve the company's AI systems. For drivers, it's a way to diversify income. For Uber, it's a way to accelerate its automated future. There's an irony here. By helping Uber strengthen its AI, drivers could be accelerating the very driverless world they fear... Uber already offers autonomous rides in Waymo vehicles in Atlanta and Austin, and plans to expand. Meanwhile, Waymo is rolling out its pilot partnership with DoorDash [for driverless grocery/meal deliveries] starting in Phoenix.
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-revolutions-next-casualty-could-104501004.html
[2] https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-experimenting-with-paying-drivers-to-train-ai-2025-10
[3] https://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-doordash-launch-autonomous-delivery-service-phoenix-2025-10
To be honest (Score:2)
It's not like a Uber driver would like to make a lifelong career out of that. So they'd train their future robotic ov, err, substitutes for a few dollars more, no problem.
But yeah, it looks pretty dystopic.
On the other hand, I doubt automated delivery would succeed, there already experiences that automated delivery vehicles constantly malfunction, get stuck, get vandalized/robbed, etc.
Waymo taxis already cause trouble in dead-end streets and other atypical scenarios.
If AI replaces every job is there an economy? (Score:2)
This is the AI Capitalist wet dream. AI sells the capitalist the slave labour they always dreamed of so the psychopaths can truly "own" their businesses rather than having to rely on herding pesky humans with all their feelings and families and other inconveniences.
Fair enough, capitalism has created some truly bullshit min wage jobs I wont miss, but if no one is working in this utopia, where does the money come from to buy the things the robots are producing and the services they provide?
Re: (Score:2)
I think you confuse desire to lower costs with desire to increase profits. While the first might lead to increased profits on short term, companies don't care about costs as long as profits expand. If your company reduces costs 50% by using AI instead of human labor, my company uses both humans an AI and expands 10x more. In the end your company might lose.
they can't climb steps (Score:2)
only billion dollar robots can climb steps
That'l go over well in cities (Score:2)
So instead of having you food delivered to your door on the 4th floor, you have to go down to pick up your food from a autonomous car standing on the street in traffic and weather, then bring it back up yourself.
And they will still ask you for a tip.
Video games as inspiration? (Score:2)
> earn cash by completing microtasks
Microtransactions from video games? There's an idea. (Sarcasm on) Why not turn every job into a gig of microtransactions? Every task from the boss is given a dollar amount, and you get paid when its completed. There could also be little monetary incentives, like if you compliment a fellow employee, $0.50+. Or if you misbehave, that'll cost you. Think of the productivity increase. No time difference from the task completed to reward. Not like a forgotten paycheck that seems entitled anyways. A tight relation
Canada's slave labour program at risk (Score:2)
This won't be good news for Canada's slave labour i.e temporary foreign worker program.... Now all the dubious for profit immigration recruiters and other shaddy companies who built an economy around exploiting desperate people from poor countries will need to compete with the likes of Uber...