How do AI and human labor costs compare?
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In his paid-member column, Exponential View author Azeem proposes two ways to compare the cost of AI and humans completing work: first, comparing item by item the cost of humans and machines completing various tasks in the economy; second, treating workers as entities required by the economy and calculating the minimum "manufacturing" cost from upbringing and education to adulthood. Azeem says AI is "manufactured intelligence" that can be highly replicated and follows a learning curve, whereas economically useful human intelligence takes far longer to form than making chips, and the outcome is unknowable for a long time.
AI overview based on source reports · Updated 6 hr ago
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In this experimental sketchbook format for paying members, Azeem explores the economic trade-off between having work done by an AI versus a human, either by comparing task costs or by viewing the worker as an entity the economy needs and considering the minimum cost of creating one—parenting, educating, and feeding from child to adult. He contrasts this with AI as "manufactured intelligence" that is highly replicable and follows a learning curve, whereas economically useful human intelligence takes much longer to create with an unknown outcome for a long time.
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