Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer of data analytics firm Palantir, said on Wednesday that artificial intelligence AI is driving a boom in blue-collar productivity, not the massive unemployment predicted by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He emphasized that artificial intelligence is accelerating hiring, training, and industrial growth in the United States.
In a recent program, Sankar emphasized an underestimated reality: the greatest benefits of artificial intelligence lie not only in software development. It has also appeared on frontline workers such as intensive care unit nurses and factory technicians.
The day before his interview, Sanders posted a video on X calling for a slowdown in the development of artificial intelligence and warning of potential mass unemployment. He questioned how people would survive without any income due to AI and robots. It could eliminate "millions of jobs," resulting in "mass unemployment."
"We need the entire population, everyone, to participate in deciding the future of artificial intelligence, not just a few billionaires. That's why. First, I will push for a halt to data centers. " The construction of these data centers is fueling the unregulated frenzy of AI development and deployment. This pause order will give democracy a chance to catch up.
Sankar refuted these claims, stating that what is truly underestimated is how artificial intelligence can become a blue-collar revolution.
He further explained that ICU nurses and factory workers benefit even more from artificial intelligence, noting that this new technology allows production line supervisors to spend more time manufacturing parts rather than on production planning and labor scheduling. Nurses can also spend more time with patients, providing life-saving care, rather than wasting time collecting patient information.
“We have a manufacturing client who was able to add a third shift because they streamlined their production planning using artificial intelligence. If labor utilization isn’t at a certain level, hiring more American workers isn’t profitable. But with artificial intelligence, more jobs can be created,” he added.
Another example Sankar cites is Panasonic Energy, a Reno, Nevada-based company that manufactures electric vehicle batteries . He pointed out that becoming a skilled battery technician requires approximately a three-year apprenticeship. However, thanks to artificial intelligence technology, the company was able to hire former casino employees within three months.
He also stated that artificial intelligence will have a “huge impact” on how companies like Panasonic Energy recruit, train, and deploy early-stage talent.
“This is pure Silicon Valley hype; they want to talk about how powerful this technology is: ‘It’s so powerful it could cause mass unemployment. It’s so powerful it could end humanity,’” he added. “Frankly, that’s not true. This isn’t what you see on the front lines. What you see is a great opportunity for America.”
Sankar also pointed out that the United States made a mistake in its artificial intelligence strategy by investing billions of dollars in data centers while neglecting the aspect that creates real economic value.
“We’ve invested heavily in what I call the AI supply side, building data centers and models. But actually, we need to invest more in the AI demand side. How do we derive economic value from these models? How do these models bring prosperity to the average American worker? That’s the question we’re relentlessly focused on at Palantir,” he said.
(Article source: CLS)
