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  3. I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year.

I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year.

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  • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

    I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

    So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

    kyonshi@dice.campK This user is from outside of this forum
    kyonshi@dice.campK This user is from outside of this forum
    kyonshi@dice.camp
    wrote last edited by
    #18

    @cwebber because that would mean spending money on wages and companies are forbidden by their religion to do so

    gurre@mastodon.nuG 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • dukeboitans@mas.toD dukeboitans@mas.to

      @jalefkowit @cwebber Isn't AI-as-a-service heavily subsidised at the moment though? This can't go on forever.

      kyonshi@dice.campK This user is from outside of this forum
      kyonshi@dice.campK This user is from outside of this forum
      kyonshi@dice.camp
      wrote last edited by
      #19

      @dukeboitans @jalefkowit @cwebber no you need to understand, the genius is that taxpayer money the AI companies get is partially spent to line the pockets of the people deciding on subsidies. they can keep that up for as long as it takes

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • kyonshi@dice.campK kyonshi@dice.camp

        @cwebber because that would mean spending money on wages and companies are forbidden by their religion to do so

        gurre@mastodon.nuG This user is from outside of this forum
        gurre@mastodon.nuG This user is from outside of this forum
        gurre@mastodon.nu
        wrote last edited by
        #20

        @kyonshi @cwebber
        It is 100% this. This is why corporate leaders love AI: they resent having employees.

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

          (And note that *each engineer* at the org has a budget for token spend that's equivalent to what I make in a year)

          aeva@mastodon.gamedev.placeA This user is from outside of this forum
          aeva@mastodon.gamedev.placeA This user is from outside of this forum
          aeva@mastodon.gamedev.place
          wrote last edited by
          #21

          @cwebber i bet that's completely sustainable and will last forever

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • mike@thecanadian.socialM mike@thecanadian.social

            @cwebber I'm not advocating replacing humans but I think the business case would be that an AI doesn't sleep, eat, take breaks, get sick, go on holiday or require a raise every year. Also an employer pays more than your salary, the line item for a human resource is salary plus payroll tax, and benefits. so it's usually your gross salary plus 30%.
            I really do get where you're coming from though. AI should be a force multiplier not an excuse to layoff staff.

            cargot_robbie@urbanists.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
            cargot_robbie@urbanists.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
            cargot_robbie@urbanists.social
            wrote last edited by
            #22

            @mike Is it true that AI won't require a raise every year? I wouldn't be surprised that executives would think that, but it seems like token price inflation would be a lot harder for companies to mitigate than it has been for them to suppress wages. AI has the whole multi-billion dollar company apparatus behind it, most employees are lucky if they can afford an employment lawyer to read their contracts.

            @cwebber

            mike@thecanadian.socialM 1 Reply Last reply
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            • cargot_robbie@urbanists.socialC cargot_robbie@urbanists.social

              @mike Is it true that AI won't require a raise every year? I wouldn't be surprised that executives would think that, but it seems like token price inflation would be a lot harder for companies to mitigate than it has been for them to suppress wages. AI has the whole multi-billion dollar company apparatus behind it, most employees are lucky if they can afford an employment lawyer to read their contracts.

              @cwebber

              mike@thecanadian.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
              mike@thecanadian.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
              mike@thecanadian.social
              wrote last edited by
              #23

              @cargot_robbie @cwebber Fair point

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • mike@thecanadian.socialM mike@thecanadian.social

                @cwebber I'm not advocating replacing humans but I think the business case would be that an AI doesn't sleep, eat, take breaks, get sick, go on holiday or require a raise every year. Also an employer pays more than your salary, the line item for a human resource is salary plus payroll tax, and benefits. so it's usually your gross salary plus 30%.
                I really do get where you're coming from though. AI should be a force multiplier not an excuse to layoff staff.

                n1xnx@tilde.zoneN This user is from outside of this forum
                n1xnx@tilde.zoneN This user is from outside of this forum
                n1xnx@tilde.zone
                wrote last edited by
                #24

                @mike @cwebber
                Of course, the OTHER thing AI doesn't do is learn from its mistakes (that humans had to clean up after).

                mike@thecanadian.socialM 1 Reply Last reply
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                • n1xnx@tilde.zoneN n1xnx@tilde.zone

                  @mike @cwebber
                  Of course, the OTHER thing AI doesn't do is learn from its mistakes (that humans had to clean up after).

                  mike@thecanadian.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mike@thecanadian.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mike@thecanadian.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #25

                  @n1xnx @cwebber Actually that is somewhat debatable. The models do accept training and do by definition learn. Do they learn like humans? Probably not.

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                    I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                    So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                    npars01@mstdn.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                    npars01@mstdn.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                    npars01@mstdn.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #26

                    @cwebber

                    AI isn't funded by the fossil fuel industry for its revenue or ROI (return on investment).

                    AI initiatives exist to launder fossil fuel money for corrupt petrostate despots.
                    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/technology/saudi-arabia-ai-exporter.html

                    AI initiatives exist to burn more fossil fuel, wastefully.
                    https://www.wired.com/story/trump-energy-industry-ai-fossil-fuels-pittsburgh-summit/

                    There's also the chokepoint capitalism, electricity rate surge, state surveillance, election meddling, wage suppression, price fixing, predatory pricing, rent fixing, & automated warfare.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                      I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                      So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                      a2_4am@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                      a2_4am@mastodon.socialA This user is from outside of this forum
                      a2_4am@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #27

                      @cwebber Tokens don't unionize

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                        I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                        So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                        elrohir@mastodon.galE This user is from outside of this forum
                        elrohir@mastodon.galE This user is from outside of this forum
                        elrohir@mastodon.gal
                        wrote last edited by
                        #28

                        @cwebber it's not rational spending, but irrational resentment. Corpos resent employees with the energy of a thousand suns. They see every work-life accommodation as a conspiracy to steal their god given right to profit margins and every paycheck as a defeat.

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                          I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                          So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                          squeakypancakes@sunbeam.cityS This user is from outside of this forum
                          squeakypancakes@sunbeam.cityS This user is from outside of this forum
                          squeakypancakes@sunbeam.city
                          wrote last edited by
                          #29

                          @cwebber ai cant unionize

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                            I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                            So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                            i_give_u_worms@beige.partyI This user is from outside of this forum
                            i_give_u_worms@beige.partyI This user is from outside of this forum
                            i_give_u_worms@beige.party
                            wrote last edited by
                            #30

                            @cwebber sooo they don't have to pay into #HealthInsurance and can shift that burden to you instead #CapitalStrike

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • cwebber@social.coopC cwebber@social.coop

                              I have a friend who has a budget where she spends as much individually on AI-as-a-service tokens as I make in a year. And it's acknowledged that the system misbehaves, needs to be monitored closely like a junior engineer, etc.

                              So why not hire some junior engineers if you're an org that has that equivalent cash to spend? Companies that are in such a position: you've never had a better market chance to get a sweet deal on young talent

                              T This user is from outside of this forum
                              T This user is from outside of this forum
                              tadbithuman@mastodon.social
                              wrote last edited by
                              #31

                              @cwebber
                              They lie that they cannot find the talent

                              1 Reply Last reply
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