Worker strikes: The robot paradox?

Union workers will be caught in an AI Chinese finger trap: the more they strike to complain against AI and robots, the more they will spotlight the merits of their non-human competition, because as strikes intensify, workers' effectiveness naturally dwindles.

Demanding an end to AI would be as useless as workers during the Industrial Revolution protesting against the incorporation of machines in factories. On the other hand, outsourcing jobs to countries like China or India for cheaper labor will no longer remain advantageous when AI or robots cost the same to operate.

Even service jobs where clients prefer humans will start to adopt AI image recognition monitoring systems to track which barista or fast-food worker produces more coffees or burgers per minute. At that point, we might as well become machines.

So how does one break free from a Chinese finger trap? The key is to resist the instinct to pull away—tightening the grip—and instead to push inward to gain freedom.

Similarly, workers must be smart to avoid the instinct of striking against robots and demanding higher wages. Instead, workers should embrace AI and collaborate with their employers to add value in exchange for a share of the upside.

In the era of artificial intelligence, humans must learn to work smarter, not harder.