The news, although not surprising to those who closely follow advances in artificial intelligence, has resonated strongly: the UN warns that AI could affect 40% of jobs worldwide. This fact, more than a simple forecast, is presented as a tangible reality that requires an immediate and global response.
This is not a distant future. Forecasts point to an AI market that could reach $5 trillion by 2033, an astronomical figure that forces us to ask ourselves what implications this technological explosion will have on our society and, above all, on the labor market.
Bill Gates himself has expressed his concern in this regard, urging world leaders to take AI with the seriousness it deserves and to establish regulations that guarantee ethical and responsible development. And herein lies the crux of the problem: AI is not only changing the game, but it is making the board itself completely different.
Unlike other technological revolutions that primarily affected manual workers, this time AI is directly targeting white-collar sectors, people with higher education and advanced training. The most developed societies, those most intricately intertwined with technology, will be the most affected. This change, which potentially empowers the forces of capital, risks producing an unprecedented social break.
Inequality, already a latent problem, is exacerbated by AI. The UNCTAD report highlights the concentration of access to this technology in a handful of companies in a few countries, primarily the United States and China. Forty percent of AI R&D investment is concentrated in just 100 companies, a scenario that makes it difficult for other nations to participate and puts AI companies in a position of almost insurmountable advantage.
Foto IA MODELO
Imagine a world with fewer than 200 countries, where more than 120 of them are potentially marginalized by the development of AI and its benefits, and where a handful of corporations have absolute control over the process. This is a reality that is much closer reality than many think.
This imbalance of power and access to technology, far from being a technical problem, is a major social and political issue. The lack of regulation, the absence of an ethical framework, and the ongoing struggle for political power instead of cooperation, are leaving society defenseless against a paradigm shift. While leading AI companies focus on maximizing profits, regardless of the social and ethical impact, politicians seem more interested in their own disputes than in regulating this new technology.
Citizens, entertained by their phones and social media, seem to have lost sight of the bigger picture. The reality is that all of us, to a greater or lesser extent, will pay the consequences.
This is not a problem that can be solved with patches. Concerted global action and international collaboration are required to establish standards and guidelines that prevent the concentration of power and ensure the responsible development of AI.
A redistribution of knowledge and access to technology is needed. We need a public debate that goes beyond sensational headlines and engages citizens in the discussion of these crucial issues.
It is essential to ask how AI can be used to improve people's lives, creating jobs in emerging sectors, boosting productivity in others, and solving global problems such as the climate crisis or poverty. How can we ensure that this technology serves humanity and not the other way around?
AI is not a monster threatening us from the future. It is a powerful tool in the hands of humanity and, at its current stage, a tool controlled by a few. It is a present that demands that we act responsibly and with foresight. The time for action is now.
And if we don't, we will all pay the consequences.
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