To OpenAI, 

As we stand at the entrance of technological advancement and social responsibility driven by Artificial Intelligence which your team is an integral part of, there needs to be a discussion of how yours and other innovations impact the lives of individuals as humanity should always be considered before the progression of technology. Technology should be used to favor not only mankind, but the things that shape our world. This letter will illustrate a specific problem that affects every human that needs innovative companies like you to address and learn from to make sure the development of Artificial Intelligence is focused on the mutual benefit of us all. While the introduction of these AI-driven technologies are portals to a newer world, they bring implications for our labor force, specifically low-skilled workers, immigrant communities, and individuals such as us who are seeking economic opportunities to support our families.

As the child of a single mother who works hard every day cleaning houses only to make enough to barely support our family, I (Nathan Hernandez) have witnessed firsthand how the implications of AI-driven technology have impacted traditional job sectors. Beginning with the introduction of automated cleaning devices such as Roombas and other cleaning robots have contributed to the rapid transformation of industries that have been reliant on human labor. Ever since its introduction to the world in 2002, the Roomba had evolved, containing newer advancements such as a better vacuum cleaner that is suitable for all flooring. This shift in automated cleaning devices not only affects my mothers livelihood and source of income but also highlights the challenges faced by low-skilled workers in adapting to an increasingly automated workforce. The majority of female workers who are immigrants find easy sources of income through cleaning houses as it is a form of labor that ignores the language barrier. As much as devices powered by AI reduce the time and effort it takes to complete a job, there will always be someone dependent on the income that comes from that job, and if they lose it, they wouldn’t have income to support themselves with.

Additionally, I (MK Hasib) have always growing up, possessed the drive to bring economic support to those in my community who have the experience of being economically disadvantaged. I know that even without the integration of AI into our jobs, there is still much unemployment and unfair employment practices that exist. However, this is where AI can be used in order to lift these problems without taking the jobs away from those who need and deserve a stable livelihood without the fear of losing their income. Rather than taking away jobs, Artificial Intelligence should be implemented to bring jobs and improve the lives of those part of the workforce instead. Unfortunately, there has not been enough progression or even focus in order to bring about this change that could potentially help so many of the people in our society while leading towards development of AI to further assist mankind. Research from Goldman Sachs reports that two-thirds of jobs in the U.S. and Europe are “exposed to some degree of AI automation and that AI could substitute up to one-fourth of current work”. This could potentially have dire consequences for the labor market and affect many people as their jobs can be taken away easily by artificial intelligence and many don’t have other options to take new jobs. The World Economic Forum also predicts that by 2027, AI will replace 23% of jobs in China’s financial sector. Therefore, it’s not just a few areas of the labor market that will be affected by AI. Iit’s impact will affect almost all parts of the labor workforce and this could lead to lay-offs as well as unemployment for the majority of citizens who make up the low-income class. While AI can revolutionize the economy of our nation and the world, the ones who are left jobless will have no benefits regardless of how AI improves the economy. People will lose their jobs and many will struggle to find new ones as their skills are easily replaceable by AI which is only progressing further. Even though Artificial Intelligence is important for the development of technology and the world itself, ultimately, it’s the efforts of humanity that leads to the progression of Artificial Intelligence and without us and those who work hard everyday to earn a living, Artificial Intelligence will eventually lead to the decay of those who are taken away their right to an economically stable life. 

Most importantly, students like us who are filled with the drive to navigate the vast landscape of future economic opportunities have to traverse with a sense of fear as the career opportunities in front of us become shorter at an increasingly alarming rate. Although this shrinking job market fills us with anxiety to secure stable employment when we need it the most, the attention must be focused on the immigrant communities who are already victims of this movement towards an artificially driven workforce. As we expressed before, these immigrant communities include many individuals related to us who only aim to provide for their families and give them the best. Many of these desperate members in need of work can be seen everywhere on the streets of Los Angeles, where mostly hispanic men wait in hopes that someone who needs workers for a project passes by. These men have experience in construction, though cannot obtain a career as they lack the communication skills due to the language barrier between them and the employers. With all this experience, they continue to lose their opportunities as many industries begin using automated machinery, saving themselves money as they no longer have to pay a wage. What they neglected is that the little money they paid their workers had made a big impact on their lives as those workers used that money to survive in a world of constant inflation.