As AI technology advanced throughout the year, other professions also felt threatened, leading to increased interest in labor protections. Lawsuits were filed by authors and visual artists against tech companies, and governments began to intervene, with US President Joe Biden signing an executive order to limit AI's impact on human work. However, the rapid evolution of AI technology and its potential to displace many jobs while creating a few highly skilled ones remains a significant concern.
Key takeaways:
- The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in 2023, protesting against the potential threat of artificial intelligence (AI) to their professions.
- These strikes highlighted the growing concern among various professions about job displacement due to AI and automation, with estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands of jobs could be affected globally.
- Authors and visual artists also joined the resistance against AI, filing lawsuits against tech companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft, alleging that their works were used to train AI models without their consent.
- By the end of 2023, the US government intervened, with President Joe Biden signing an executive order to limit AI's impact on human work and provide support for workers affected by AI-induced labor disruptions.