On April 1, more than half a million fast-food workers in California got a raise , with minimum wage across the sector bumped up to $20 per hour. I study low-wage industries in Los Angeles County, including the effects of new technology on workers. My research shows how automation does not always lead to greater efficiency and cost-cutting for businesses, as AI boosters would like the public — and policymakers — to believe. Working people deserve to have their voices heard in determining how, where, when or whether AI and automation should be used. And its timing is fortunate, given the rapid and unchecked ascendancy of automation and AI, further evidenced by Gov.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 01, 2024 20:58 UTC