As the world enters the age of agentic A.I., a new era of office management is emerging, where humans oversee teams of artificial intelligence assistants.
As the world enters the age of agentic A.I., many have raised concerns about the potential displacement of jobs, particularly in office and administrative roles. However, Alexandr Wang, co-founder of Scale AI, predicts a different future. Instead of replacing workers, A.I. will make everyone a manager.
Alexandr Wang is an American computer scientist and entrepreneur.
He is best known as the founder and CEO of Scale AI, a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup.
Wang's work focuses on developing and applying machine learning algorithms to various industries such as autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and finance.
He has received numerous awards for his contributions to AI research and development.
Managing ‘Pods’ of A.I. Agents
Wang envisions a future where office employees oversee their own groups of A.I. agents, ensuring they are working correctly and not making mistakes. This shift in labor markets is expected to create new employment opportunities, rather than displacing existing ones. ‘It’ll almost be like everybody gets promoted to being a manager,’ Wang said in a recent podcast interview.
The Role of Scale AI
Scale AI, founded by Wang in 2016, specializes in curating the data used by tech companies to fine-tune their A.I. systems. The startup has gained significant attention and investment from major clients, including government agencies and tech giants like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. However, Scale AI’s efforts have also been marred by controversy, with contractors accusing the company of wage theft and subjecting workers to emotionally distressing content.
Scale AI is a platform that provides data labeling and annotation tools for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models.
The company was founded in 2017 with the goal of making it easier to train accurate AI models by providing high-quality training data.
Scale AI's platform allows users to create, manage, and collaborate on datasets, as well as access a range of tools for data labeling, annotation, and validation.
Regulating A.I. and Creating New Jobs
Wang believes that as A.I. grows, new jobs will be created to regulate the technology itself. This includes managing A.I. systems and ensuring they don’t cause harm or perform tasks that are undesirable. ‘Managing the A.I.’s and keeping watch over all the A.I. systems, that’s going to be another thing that we’re going to have to do,’ Wang said.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries and societies worldwide, governments are grappling with the need to regulate its development and deployment.
Key concerns include bias in decision-making algorithms, data privacy, and accountability for AI-driven decisions.
The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set a precedent for AI regulation, while the US is still developing its approach.
In 2020, the US introduced the Algorithmic Accountability Act to address bias in AI systems.
A Historical Perspective
Wang notes that changes in labor markets are a natural consequence of technological advancements. He cites the example of farming becoming more efficient with technology, allowing people to pursue other opportunities. ‘It’s always the history of technology,’ he said. As A.I. continues to evolve, it is likely to bring about significant changes in the way we work and manage our time.
