The air is thick with caution lately, as even industry titans like Jeff Bezos are sounding alarms about a potential recession, advising people to rethink major purchases like new automobiles or refrigerators Jeff Bezos issued a warning: says you might want to rethink buying a new automobile, refrigerator, or whatever. This kind of counsel, coming from the founder of Amazon, a company synonymous with consumption, is a stark reminder of the economic shifts we face. It’s not just about slowing sales; we've also seen significant workforce impacts, with over 1.1 million layoffs announced this year US employers have announced 1.1 million layoffs so far this year.
Reflecting on these current events, I'm struck by how many of these challenges, especially concerning the workforce and the influence of technology, echo discussions I've had for years. Back in 1987, in my reflections on "Office Productivity" at Larsen & Toubro Office Productivity, I was already analyzing the impact of increasing automation and mechanisation on manufacturing processes and the shift in skill requirements from shop-related to office-related tasks. I noted then the rapid rise in wages and the need to focus on office productivity. It reminds me of the work done by the Productivity Committee in 1975, convened by G. Ramakrishna, whose recommendations were discussed to improve efficiency at Powai.
Today, this foresight feels particularly relevant. The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, and I had even proposed a solution at the time. Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context.
The discussions around "Skills to gain Productivity" Skills to gain Productivity and how to best empower our youth align with this long-term view. The economic pressures Jeff Bezos warns of could accelerate the need for businesses to further optimize costs, leading to greater adoption of automation and AI, which in turn demands a more skilled and adaptable workforce. It's a cycle that was evident decades ago and is now amplified by advanced technologies.
Indeed, the influence of technology on our choices is something I’ve explored deeply. In 2017, I wrote extensively about how "Technology will Dispose" of traditional notions of privacy, even mentioning how devices like refrigerators might automatically order food based on our eating habits Supreme may Propose : Technology will Dispose. It’s not a huge leap from a smart refrigerator anticipating your needs to technology nudging you towards more economical choices during a recession, perhaps even advising against buying that new car or fridge, as Bezos now suggests.
My earlier blogs, like "Seeing AI through Google Glass" Seeing AI through Google Glass ? and "Privacy does not live here !" Privacy does not live here !, also delved into how ubiquitous surveillance and data collection by devices, even from companies like Microsoft (with their "Seeing AI" app), Google (with Google Glass), and Amazon, were set to transform our lives. This constant monitoring, originally a privacy concern, now takes on another dimension: influencing consumer behavior in financially prudent ways during a downturn, perhaps guided by algorithms that know our economic vulnerabilities better than we do ourselves.
We see this trend accelerating. Only last year, in my blog about "Chatbots: Some for Businesses, Some for Humans" Chatbots: Some for Businesses, Some for Humans, I highlighted how companies like IndiGo and Air India are deploying AI chatbots, like IndiGo's 6Eskai, to significantly reduce customer service agent workload. This is a clear indicator of how businesses are leveraging AI for efficiency, a trend that intensifies during economic slowdowns. The predictions I made there about chatbots evolving to animated faces and 3D volumetric holograms, and even my own Virtual Avatar at www.hemenparekh.ai, demonstrate an inexorable march towards technologically-driven efficiency that reshapes the very nature of work and interaction.
The warnings of Jeff Bezos serve as a contemporary lens through which to view these long-standing transformations. Economic cycles come and go, but the underlying currents of technological advancement and their impact on human society, labor, and privacy continue to flow, much as I observed and predicted years ago. The challenge isn't just surviving a recession, but adapting to an increasingly automated and data-driven world that profoundly influences our decisions and livelihoods.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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