Süddeutsche Zeitung Questions Whether AI Extinction Talk Distracts From Real Workplace Harms

In a commentary published by the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, the paper examines how leading figures in the technology sector are currently invoking the danger of human extinction. The article asks whether this focus on existential risk serves to divert attention from the effects that artificial intelligence is already having on the working world. Rather than treating the extinction debate as the central issue, the piece points to concrete, present-day consequences for jobs and labor. The commentary argues that, contrary to the most dramatic scenarios, nobody will initially die because of AI — with the exception of a few professions. It frames the discussion around the hidden costs of AI in the workplace, as reflected in the article's URL reference to 'versteckte Kosten' (hidden costs). The text positions itself critically toward tech-industry thought leaders who emphasize apocalyptic outcomes, suggesting their warnings may function as a distraction. No specific companies, individuals, or dates are named in the available material. The piece belongs to cultural coverage of technology and labor, published by Süddeutsche Zeitung.