By: Chantelle
“I need to start by saying that I understand the systemic problems with AI, from environmental impact and misinformation to the literal theft of people’s copyrighted work.
To be very clear, here is where I stand on the following:
Environment: Yes, AI is harmful to the environment. But we also have fascist governments around the world withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, not to mention environmental disasters caused by war and the massive corporate emissions that go unchecked. If we had a system of governance that actually cared about climate change, then we could have a real discussion about AI energy usage.
Unethical Generated Material: This is disgusting and I condemn it. You shouldn’t be able to generate this material, it violates consent and constitutes abuse. Those responsible should be prosecuted. This is never acceptable and highlights a misogynistic, patriarchal world that thrives under imperialism.
The ethics of AI and data theft won’t be the main focus of this piece, though it is a massive issue I plan to touch on in a future article.”
So, what’s the real problem? Obviously, it’s Capitalism.
To understand why AI is so predatory, we have to look at how Capitalism is actively shaping its development. It isn’t just “the tech” doing this, it is a deliberate system focused on:
- Exploitation of Marginalised Labour: Behind the “magic” of AI is a massive, invisible workforce. Corporations rely on low-paid workers, to label data and filter out traumatic content for pennies, often with zero mental health support.
- Power Concentration and Monopolisation: Only the wealthiest tech giants have the capital to run the massive server farms required for AI. This creates a terrifying monopoly where a handful of billionaires dictate the tools the rest of the world is forced to use.
- Profit Driven Innovation Over Public Good: AI isn’t being built to solve world hunger or the climate crisis, it’s being built to maximise shareholder value. When profit is the only metric for success, human safety and public benefit are always treated as afterthoughts.
I want you to think about some of your personal AI concerns:
- Using AI tools for therapy.
- Using AI to automate work.
- Total job loss.
People are Using AI for Therapy Because They Can’t Afford Humans
One of my greatest concerns is people using AI as a therapist. My initial gut reaction is: ‘Why would you do that?’ You are literally giving your life details to corporations that are stealing and using your data without your consent. Not to mention, it is not an actual therapist – It lacks the ‘human’ element entirely.
But if that’s how I feel, what’s the point?
The point is that when we recognise an issue, we immediately blame the person using the technology. Maybe we are asking ourselves the wrong question. The real question is: Why did this person turn to Generative AI for help and support in the first place?
You guessed it: A lack of money and accessibility under Capitalism.
Therapy, in my opinion, is a human right. It should have no barriers like cost or location. If you’re lucky, you live in a country that subsidises part of your mental health care, but you’re still forking out 90 Australian Dollars (60 American Dollars) an hour for a very limited number of sessions. People aren’t choosing AI because they want a robot…they’re choosing it because they’ve been priced out of humanity.
AI Doesn’t Equal Productivity Under Capital
AI uptake in the office has soared, from drafting pesky emails and automating tasks to analysing data and summarising meetings. AI in the context of work is sold to us as a way to ‘increase productivity’ or ‘get things done quicker’. But have you noticed that you aren’t getting any of that time back in return?
If AI doubles productivity, it should halve your work hours, right? Well, no, sweetie. Instead, Capitalism demands you maintain that increased rate of productivity and still slave away for the same eight hours.
This is bullshit.
Under a different system, if workers could use AI to get their work done faster, they wouldn’t have to keep grinding to feed PROFIT. Under Capital, there must be growth, even unnecessary growth which brings me to the next factor:
The Violation of Workers’ Consent
While some companies have fully adopted AI and my issues with Capitalism aside, these tools are specifically targeted at businesses. However, when implementing AI in the workplace, there must be an opt-out for employees.
Not everyone in the workplace wants to use AI, and spoiler alert: They shouldn’t have to. A friend of mine shared their experience of being coerced into using AI, with colleagues constantly chirping: ‘You can use AI for that!’ despite them telling management they don’t want to use AI over and over again. This is straight up harassment. People should have the right to refuse. Like I mentioned above, there are no rewards for the worker’s increased productivity, management just wants to squeeze more out of you.
The Fear of Losing Everything
This is the main concern of regular workers: their jobs becoming obsolete, leaving them with no way to support themselves or their loved ones. It’s already hard enough to afford rent, mortgages, food and bills.
It doesn’t surprise me that this is a massive concern. We see something that threatens our ability to eat, so we hate it and that’s fair.
If AI is able to replace a large chunk of people’s jobs, we need a solution that isn’t just ‘retraining’ while people starve and lose their homes. We need to pay people. Welfare payments or a Universal Basic Income (UBI) should be implemented alongside current benefits like JobSeeker in Australia, which should also be increased. These should pay a liveable wage.
If losing a job didn’t mean losing the ability to eat or keep a roof over your head, the perspective on AI could shift. It wouldn’t be seen as a ‘life-stealer,’ but as a tool with genuine potential for good. However, that potential can only be unlocked under a new system that prioritises ethics over capital.
This is only a band-aid solution to one problem under Capitalism. Our ultimate goal should be to get rid of Capital entirely, because it truly is at the heart of all these issues.
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