The New York Times reports:

Economists aren’t sure if or when artificial intelligence will cause widespread job losses. But they do agree on one thing: The federal safety net isn’t ready for such a shock.

The nearly century-old unemployment system, which provides out-of-work Americans with up to 26 weeks of benefits in most states, is unlikely to cover many of the workers who are most at risk of being displaced by A.I., labor experts warn.

Job-retraining programs and other forms of aid designed for an earlier era of displaced workers haven’t been updated for the current threat or, in some cases, have lapsed altogether. And Republicans in Congress last year made it more difficult for people without jobs to receive the food assistance and health care benefits that are meant to be the last line of defense for struggling families.

The bottom line: If droves of Americans are disrupted by technology and turn to the government for help, they may find the aid insufficient — or, worse yet, be ineligible to receive it.

Economists disagree about whether such a wave of job losses is likely. Despite recent layoff announcements at tech companies, banks and other corporations, unemployment remains low by historical standards.

But surveys show that workers are worried about their job security. Economists have become more convinced that A.I. will displace workers in specific fields, even if it doesn’t lead to the broader increase in unemployment that some in Silicon Valley predict. Overall, layoffs ticked up in March but rose more significantly in the information sector, data released on Tuesday showed, which has been among the fastest to adopt A.I. tools.

Still, there has been little preparation in Washington for a severe labor crunch. Nascent efforts to upgrade unemployment insurance have gained little momentum on Capitol Hill. And the Trump administration, which has embraced A.I. and opposed efforts to slow its progress, has dismissed suggestions that the technology is a threat to jobs at all.

Labor experts say the government should begin preparing for A.I. job losses now, rather than waiting until the crisis has begun. After years of atrophy and neglect, they say, unemployment insurance and other safety net programs are long overdue for an overhaul. [Continue reading…]