AI Work Culture

NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss AI work culture and the competitive nature leading to long work days. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So prepare to work a little harder to catch up
with AI. This is West Michigan's Morning News stee Kelly,
Bret Pekita, That's Lauren Smith. Rory O'Neill, NBC News Radio
National correspondent. Good day to you, sir, Hey there, Happy Tuesday,
and to you the same. Give us a little we
know something more now about how AI can help. Originally
we were terrified we're all going to lose our jobs,

(00:21):
and then we learned maybe this thing was going to
help a little bit. But maybe now we're going to
be running alongside it. Well that's possible.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
And you know, this fascinating piece in the Washington Post.
It takes a look at how the work schedule for
these AI startups is really going back to something more
old school, something we saw back in the days of
the early dot com bubble, and really turning back, turning
against some of those COVID ways of work. No more

(00:50):
remote work, no more sort of well, I'm going to
go out and get a lot day in the middle
of the day and come back. And you know, while
in my pj's checks, what emails I got? Ah, have
you heard the term? Here's the question, have you heard
the term nine nine six. No, no, okay, don't let
our bosses hear this. Nine nine six is your schedule.

(01:13):
You work nine to nine six days a week. Oh
my gosh, no. No. In the moment where it feels
like the four day work week was finally gaining some steam,
AI's ruining that for us. It is and it's in office,
so it's not even like remote work. This is So
this is the culture that's emerging. And as these new

(01:33):
AI startups all try to really crack this thing and
become the lead AI company. This is what they're demanding
of employees. And the ones who are into this, the
ones who see like, look this, I want to be
you know, this generation's Bill Gates. They are put in
the grind rory. Does this tell us AI is still
not a real trustworthy product. I mean, if you have

(01:55):
to have this kind of human oversight, right, Well, what
they're trying to do is create the evil monster, right.
So these guys, these are all doctor Frankenstein working late
into the night, is what's happening. That's what these people
are doing as they pluck away at their keyboards, trying
to really designate and define and create the AI technology
they're all trying to be first essentially and be that

(02:18):
company and the but you know, look, yes there is
something to be said for being first, but you know,
Beta Max was first, My Space was first. Being first. Hey, now,
don't mock atar lots of I was a pitfall king,
but that's another whole story. But yeah, so these companies

(02:40):
and these workers these days are really grinding it out.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Is there a positive takeaway from this? I mean, obviously
there will be adjustments, right well, I.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Think there's still Look, this is all uncharted territory, and
your first question, like, we don't know what AI is
going to do. Will it replace us all? Can it
replace us all? Do we want it to replace this all?
Like what's that going to look like? Will it be
that companion? They say, oh no, it's gonna alleviate you
of your mundane tasks. And I don't believe them when

(03:10):
they're selling that either, But you or is this going
to absolutely change our culture around the world? I think
the jury is still out and these nine nine sixers
are the ones deciding that.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
I was talking to an HR professional yesterday and she said,
there at the point now where they can recognize chat
GPT resumes or in authenticity, so it's not necessarily doing
a better job. So there's a little takeaway there too.
Rory O'Neil, NBC News Radio National Correspondent, thanks for your

(03:45):
time this morning.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Hey, thanks guys,