It's interesting to see people fighting so hard to preserve these jobs. Do people want to work that badly? If a magic wand can do everything radiologists can do, would we embrace it or invent reasons to occupy 40+ hours a week of time anyway? If a magic wand, might be on the horizon, shouldn't we all be fighting to find it and even finding ways to tweak our behaviors to maximize the amount of free time that could be generated?
This isn't going to generate free time. Its going to generate homelessness and increasing wealth inequality.
Our current economic system does not support improved productivity leading to less working (with equal wealth) for the working class.
People enjoy the comfort of consistent food and housing. People also enjoy serving their community. Working helps provide that. So for folks to be willing to sacrifice their security and comfort to get to the horizon of the new day with greater leisure time, it can be scary for many. Especially when you have to make a leap of belief that AI is a magic wand changing your world for the better. Is that supported by the evidence? It's quite the leap in belief and life change. Hesitancy seems appropriate to me.
It's not that so much as no one wants to lose their jobs due to innovation. Just look at typewriter repairmen, TV, radio, even Taxi drivers at one point etc. One day AI and automation will make many jobs redundant, so rather than resisting the march forward of technology, prepare for it and find a way to work alongside, not against innovation.
People like the promised stability that comes with certain jobs. Some jobs are sold as "study this, get the GPA, apply to this university and do these things and you will get a stable job at the end". AI plans to disrupt this path.
It is precisely the attraction of the vision that makes people fight so hard to preserve these jobs.
Because we know how well the jobs address a need, and we also know how many times throughout history we have been promised magic wands that never quite showed up.
And guess who is best equipped to measure the actual level of “magic”? Experts like radiologists. We need them the most along the way, not the least.
If a magic wand actually shows up, it will be obvious to everyone and we’ll all adopt it voluntarily. Just like thousands of innovations in history.
Problem: Food, rent, utilities and healthcare cost money.