AI has definitely let us down. Instead of replacing 100% of the workforce it looks like it’s only going to replace 90%.
My next-door neighbor who is a software engineer says it is going to take years for humans to fix the crappy software output by people who used it to come up with solutions that seemed to work to begin with.
AI has been used as an excuse to lay off people because it sounds plausible and diverts blame. But in reality the companies who have tried to replace crappy off-shore customer support with AI customer support typically have to still hire crappy offshore customer support. And their customers cannot stand either.
The companies who have tried to replace IT workers or programmers have typically had poor outcomes. As time goes on AI tools likely will get better. The recent release of Claude 4.6 which is said to be much better at coding than previous versions sent shock waves through tech companies this last week.
I have used several varieties of AI tools to try and setup various physical hardware and virtual machines in my hobby computer lab. Most of the time it has been an exercise in frustration. The expectations of people who have no experience trying to use these tools for actually accomplishing something useful feel differently about this than those who have not.
Do you actually know anyone who has been displaced by AI? I would like to hear about their sad tale.