Will AI help or hurt workers? One 26-year-old found an unexpected answer.
Live MintDaron Acemoglu, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who recently won the Nobel Prize in economics, worries that artificial intelligence will worsen income inequality and not do all that much for productivity. “Maybe the most exciting thing about AI is that it could accelerate scientific discovery and innovation," said Toner-Rodgers. Contrary to concerns that using AI for scientific research might lead to a “streetlight effect"—hitting on the most obvious solutions rather than the best ones—there were more novel compounds than what the scientists discovered before using AI. Acemoglu notes that unlike large language models such as ChatGPT that people are trying to apply broadly, the lab’s AI tool was built specifically for materials discovery. One last thing Toner-Rodgers found about the lab’s AI tool: The scientists didn’t like it all that much, with 82% reporting reduced satisfaction with their work.
History of this topic
In 2024, artificial intelligence was all about putting AI tools to work
LA Times
Artificial intelligence is the latest opium of the masses
Live Mint
Scientifically Speaking | In defence of AI… and human intervention
Hindustan Times
AI will revolutionise research. But could it transform science altogether?
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AI's real impact? Freeing us from the tyranny of repetitive tasks
Wired
AI should help not hinder employees – giving people more time to do the things they are best at
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