Is AI Really Taking Jobs Or Is The Workforce Shrinking?
In this brief talk, Kevin Surace challenges the common narrative that AI will eliminate most jobs. He explains that in the United States the birth rate has been falling for three decades, resulting in a steadily decreasing number of high‑school graduates. Within a decade the labor pool could shrink by 30‑35 % because more workers are exiting the workforce than new ones are entering. This demographic trend creates a genuine labor shortage, so businesses must become more productive. Surace positions AI as the tool to boost productivity, not as a job‑stealing threat. He argues AI will automate specific tasks—something that is actually beneficial because there aren’t enough workers to perform those tasks anyway—rather than wholesale job loss. The overall message is that AI should be embraced as a solution to a looming workforce shortage.
