Do you ever feel like something is off?

The US is hyping up AI on one hand, speculating on crypto on the other, and yet keeps talking about protecting jobs. Isn't that contradictory? Isn't AI and crypto supposed to "eliminate human labor"?

Actually, it's not contradictory. It's just that many people equate "jobs disappearing" with "everyone losing their livelihood."

The truth is a bit more complicated. AI doesn't wipe out entire professions—it automates specific tasks within those professions. The IMF report puts it bluntly: AI will impact a massive number of jobs, with half being replaced and the other half being enhanced. Note—enhanced, not eliminated.

So why is the US still pushing AI so hard?

Because what they're after is a delicate balance: boosting productivity without driving down wages or causing unemployment to spike.

That's why you'll see official documents talking about industrial competitiveness and infrastructure on one side, while also stuffing education, skills training, and labor market assessments into the same rhetoric. This isn't just empty talk—it's about keeping policy options open.

The data speaks volumes. The IMF estimates that nearly 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected by AI, especially "high-skill" roles like design, copywriting, operations, and engineering. The impact will be smaller in emerging markets and low-income countries, at 40% and 26% respectively. But developed countries? They're facing it head-on.

And about "reshoring manufacturing"—the US is indeed bringing capacity back, but what's returning is capital and equipment, not workers. Factories can be built, but there might not be enough people to staff them. The result? Automation and robotics have actually become necessary conditions for reshoring—fewer people can get the job done, and costs remain under control.

Here's the key: when policy talks about "high employment," it really means "don't let the unemployment rate explode in the short term." The US unemployment rate is around 4.4% right now, which helps explain why they're publicly championing AI while keeping a close eye on employment numbers.

To put it bluntly, this is a wager between technological acceleration and social stability. If they win, productivity skyrockets; if they lose, a wave of unemployment hits first.