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Generative AI is reshaping the workplace by automating certain tasks and potentially disrupting entire occupations. The article proposes four key factors — task complexity, frequency, fragmentation costs, and cost of failure — to guide decisions about when AI should or should not replace human workers. It emphasises balancing obvious cost savings with hidden risks associated with automation.
Essential Question: Under what circumstances does generative AI yield clear net benefits for businesses and society, and when do the risks or hidden costs outweigh its advantages?
Part One: Read the FT article The jobs AI can do — and those it shouldn’t and then answer the questions below.
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Why does the article say we should ask if AI ‘should’ do a job, instead of just whether it ‘can’?
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How does task complexity affect whether a human or AI might be better at doing the work?
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What makes high-frequency tasks more likely to be taken over by AI?
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What are fragmentation costs, and how do they make automation harder to manage?
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Why can AI mistakes be especially risky in some jobs but less risky in others?
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How does AI change the job of a computer programmer, and why might it impact them more than other workers?
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How do task handoffs between AI and humans affect the quality of the work done?
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What are some hidden or unseen costs that businesses should think about before using AI?
Part Two: Exploring a Fast-Growing Occupation Using National Data (Click Here)
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Select an Occupation: Choose a rapidly growing job from the BLS website (eg actuary). Locate basic facts such as median pay, education required, job outlook and key responsibilities. (If you prefer to research another occupation, you may do so here)
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Summarise the Role: Describe what someone in this occupation typically does and the work environment they operate in (eg office setting, travel, remote work)
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Analyse Job Growth Factors: Based on the data you found (including pay, employment change and outlook), discuss two reasons why this job might be growing so quickly. (Hint: Consider technology, demographic trends, or economic changes.)
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Consider AI Impact: Drawing from the article’s ideas (complexity, frequency, fragmentation costs and cost of failure), explain one way AI could assist with tasks in this job and one potential drawback or risk if AI replaced part of the human role
Joel Miller and James Redelsheimer, Foundation for Economic Education.
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