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The author suggests GPT-4 is analogous to tools like the spellchecker, but really the roles get flipped. AI does the work, and we take the role of the spellchecker.

Not dissimilar to the one employee who hangs around the 10 self-checkouts ensuring they work properly. Can’t say I look forward to that career change.

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That is… not the only thing a clerk does. Which is (more or less) the whole point in TFA.

Yes it is, they babysit the checkouts and step in when needed. Their role is very much different than the role of manning a single non self-checkout. And let's not get into how the roles of the 9 other clerks have changed who are no longer there (spoiler: doing no work there and not getting paid at all).

If you thing self-checkout reduces clerk work by a factor of 10 you have not worked in low margin high throughput retail. Anyway, from experience i can tell you it’s a gradual affair.

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