In his book Other People's Money, researcher Dr. Hillel Gershoni challenges several popular economic and environmental myths. One of them, he says, is the growing alarm over artificial intelligence and its supposed threat to global employment. In an interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Dr. Gershoni explains why he remains calm about AI’s impact on the job market.
According to Gershoni, waves of technological panic have recurred roughly every two decades. “Every generation finds a new reason to fear progress,” he says. “First it was industrial machines, then robots, and now AI. Yet time and again, these fears prove either false or misplaced.”
He acknowledges that new technologies inevitably reshape the labor market. “When computers replaced typewriters, typists lost their jobs. When electric refrigerators arrived, ice sellers disappeared. Film manufacturers declined as digital cameras emerged. But while some jobs vanish, new ones always appear.”
Gershoni uses AI as a current example: “Yes, some junior programmers might lose positions, but others will use AI to elevate their skills and productivity. The same happened when Ford introduced the assembly line-unskilled workers could suddenly build cars without being expert craftsmen.”
He stresses that technological progress brings both challenges and opportunities. “Some people may struggle to find work as AI changes their field, but others will thrive. The idea that AI will take all our jobs and leave us starving has no real basis.”
Looking further ahead, Gershoni dismisses the fear of a future where AI renders all work obsolete. “Even if, in fifty years, AI could produce everything we need-food, homes, computers, even space travel-that wouldn’t mean destitution. It might mean a near-paradise where work is optional, and people can focus on what gives life meaning.”
He adds, “Mechanization has already given us more leisure time. Whether we use it wisely or wastefully is up to us-but that’s not inherently bad.”
Citing economists and historians, Gershoni notes that progress always involves creative destruction-some lose while others gain. “Older workers trained on outdated technologies may suffer, but overall, society becomes wealthier. In fact, market disruptions from automation or imports often hurt younger people more, as they have less experience and fewer resources.”
As for dire predictions from futurists, he remains skeptical. “People like to be alarmed-it sells newspapers and books. But history shows that progress benefits humanity far more than it harms.”
Still, Gershoni acknowledges one legitimate concern: AI’s potential use in warfare or catastrophic scenarios. “It’s a distant and speculative fear,” he says. “I personally am not worried, but others are. These are imaginings about a future no one can truly foresee.”