The Human Cost of AI: Jobs, Education, and a Constitution for Machines | AI Ethics Today
Artificial intelligence is moving faster than our ethical frameworks. In this episode of AI Ethics Today, we explore the real human consequences of AI decisions that are already reshaping work, education, and trust.
Jess Todtfeld and Dr. Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, examine three major stories that all point to the same question: Who bears the human cost of AI progress?
We dig into mass layoffs tied to automation, the growing backlash against AI in classrooms, and a bold new attempt to regulate AI behavior through a formal constitution.
This is not a tech hype episode. It is a practical ethics conversation about fairness, responsibility, and what happens when efficiency outpaces care.
🔍 Topics Covered in This Episode
• Are AI-driven layoffs ethically defensible, or simply profitable
• What responsibility companies owe workers displaced by automation
• Why classrooms are becoming ground zero in the AI ethics debate
• The rise of analog teaching and in-class writing to counter AI misuse
• Whether banning AI in education helps or harms long-term learning
• What it really means to keep a human in the loop
• Can a machine be guided by ethical principles
• Does a constitution for AI actually protect people, or just companies
We also break down the newly released AI constitution from Anthropic, the creators of the Claude AI model, and explain why some of its language raises serious ethical red flags.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to AI Ethics Today
01:10 – The human cost of AI decisions at scale
02:30 – Amazon layoffs and AI-driven job displacement
06:40 – Is replacing workers with AI ethical
10:55 – Fairness, care, and stakeholder responsibility
14:20 – The human in the loop explained
18:05 – AI in classrooms and teacher backlash
22:40 – Analog teaching and in-class writing
27:15 – Can students ethically use AI tools
31:30 – Are we training students or outsourcing thinking
35:10 – Can AI-generated podcasts replace humans
39:20 – Trust, lived experience, and authenticity
43:10 – Anthropic’s AI constitution overview
46:00 – Why ethics is not a subcategory of safety
50:15 – Language problems inside the AI constitution
54:30 – Are AI guardrails improving or restricting creativity
58:40 – What ethical AI should actually prioritize
01:02:30 – Final reflections and what comes next
🧠 Key Ethical Frameworks Referenced
• Ethical intelligence and the principle of doing no harm
• Fairness, care, and responsibility in decision making
• Human accountability in automated systems
• Practical wisdom and knowing when to use AI and when not to
The conversation references ideas from philosophy, media ethics, and real-world business decisions, including cultural touchstones like Citizen Kane and The Gambler to illustrate timeless ethical lessons.
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💬 Join the Conversation
Do you think AI companies are moving fast enough to protect people
Should jobs, education, or innovation come first
Is a constitution for machines meaningful, or just symbolic
Share your thoughts in the comments. We welcome respectful disagreement.
📌 About AI Ethics Today
AI Ethics Today is a weekly podcast hosted by Jess Todtfeld and Dr. Bruce Weinstein, focused on the ethical challenges created by artificial intelligence in business, education, media, and society.
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