Submitted 5 hours ago by BrikoX@lemmy.zip to technology@lemmy.zip
In 1987, economist and Nobel laureate Robert Solow made a stark observation about the stalling evolution of the Information Age: Following the advent of transistors, microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory chips of the 1960s, economists and companies expected these new technologies to disrupt workplaces and result in a surge of productivity. Instead, productivity growth slowed, dropping from 2.9% from 1948 to 1973, to 1.1% after 1973.
a paradox from 40 years ago
In 1987
Oh god I’m old
the 80s was 25 years ago paradox
Economists: “We can’t be wrong. The results are obviously a paradox. Yeah, that’s the answer.”
I guess it takes years of study and experience to just double down over and over again instead of admitting the “miracle” tech you’re hyping accomplishes a fraction of what you’re trying to make it do. Very illuminating to us plebs that wouldn’t know better.
That’s reductive. I’m no economist but it goes like this: there are models that predicts the effects of certain industry changes. The invention of certain technologies at a certain time didn’t fit the prediction and they don’t know why. Someday somebody will figure it out and the model will be better. In the mean time, the model continues to work just fine with other stuff.
The invention of certain technologies at a certain time had effects that didn’t match the prediction and they don’t know why. Someday somebody will figure it out and the model will be better.
Also known as “being wrong”. Being wrong is fine. It’s great even. It means that there’s more to discover and improve. Calling it a “paradox” is a pathetic, self-serving attempt to save face when presented with evidence that makes them look bad. Instead of saying “We don’t know, but we’re working on it,” they pass it off as unsolvable.
And yet the layoffs continue…
AI is a nice scape goat for justifying firings.
wtf does productivity even mean to the ghouls exactly
Time per task, output per time, sales, products, whatever the company does.
Compare with whatever the same data showed before pushing ai.
Yet another thing that we saw happening in the 70s and 80s, even talked about it, and yet kept going full speed into the abyss.
Deceptichum@quokk.au 1 hour ago
Yet wages stagnate while profits rise. Productivity is being generated somewhere.
yakko@feddit.uk 6 minutes ago
Profits aren’t always productivity-related. It’s theft.