Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Assessing AI’s Position on the Enshittification Curve – O’Reilly

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In a recent discussion on AI’s impact on job markets, contrasting views emerged from Amazon’s Andy Jassy and Ford’s Jim Farley. Jassy highlighted AI’s potential to enhance customer experience, while Farley warned of potential job losses. The crux of the matter lies in a company’s position within the innovation cycle: firms in emerging markets tend to create jobs, whereas those in mature markets often face declines. As I noted, disruptive technologies initially focus on value creation but can devolve into “enshittification,” where user value diminishes as companies prioritize profit. Amazon, despite Jassy’s optimistic rhetoric, mirrors this decline by shifting focus from customer delight to efficiency. Meanwhile, many AI companies are entering this detrimental phase, where they risk prioritizing shareholders over users. The future of AI—and its job creation potential—rests on our choices: whether to leverage technology to empower individuals or exploit it solely for profit. The path forward requires a commitment to augmenting human potential.

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