A.I. is reshaping work. Many workers are being left behind.
Amidst uncertainty and debate about the future impact of A.I. on jobs, there are many people already suffering from the unevenly distributed impact of automation and displacement. Entry-level workers, especially women and workers of color, are overrepresented in mass layoffs and disproportionately affected by increased barriers of entry into the profession.
Software engineers, call center workers, and copywriters are among the first to experience a significant shift in the capacity of AI to replace tasks we once performed. For decades, "Teach X to Code" was promoted as an economic justice strategy for marginalized workers, from coal miners to the formerly incarcerated. Now these workers from nontraditional training paths are among the first to be laid off.
Knowledge workers are experiencing what manufacturing and agricultural workers faced decades ago, with few institutional supports to navigate this time of transition. We believe that no worker should have to bear the costs of automation alone. The worst predicted harms of A.I. are not inevitable, but we can't afford to wait for mass unemployment before we mobilize. This moment presents a narrow window of opportunity to intervene by building worker power, strengthening social safety nets, and organizing for broader legal, institutional, and cultural change.