Devaluation of human effort: what it is, and what’s happened in Australia
AI systems capable of creating economic or cultural value, including through reproduction of human innovation or creativity (e.g., art, music, writing, code, invention), can destabilize economic and social systems that rely on human effort. This may lead to reduced appreciation for human skills, disruption of creative and knowledge-based industries, and homogenization of cultural experiences due to the ubiquity of AI-generated content.
Definition and category 6.3 from the MIT AI Risk Repository, used under CC BY 4.0.
How experts rate it
With mitigations — 6.0%The difference between the two estimates — 3.5 points
Mean probability of a catastrophic outcome by 2030 — more than 1 million deaths, or more than USD 100 billion in financial loss, or comparable civilisation-scale intangible damage. Across 272 experts who took part. How this was measured
The study tabulates 5 of its 23 figures; this one was read from MIT's published chart on 18 August 2026.
Ranks 20 of 23 rated risks. This study published no interval for it, so the position of neighbouring risks is not meaningful. Experts put the difference at 3.5 percentage points.
Rank 20 of 23 by expert-rated severity, at 9.5%. See all 23 ranked
Evidence
- Evidence
Dr Toby Ord, Senior Researcher at Oxford University and author of The Precipice, stated: 'Australia risks being in a position where it has little say on the AI systems that will increasingly affect its future. An Australian AI Safety Institute would allow Australia to participate on the world stage in guiding this critical technology that affects us all.'
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