6,700 workers replaced by AI in Spain: the figure raising concerns

AI has already replaced 6,700 workers in Spain: a warning to the middle class

El Economista has put a number to the antiestéticar: 6,700 jobs have already been replaced by artificial intelligence in Spain. The figure, which has spread quickly through economic circles, reopens an uncomfortable debate: automation is not only hitting manual work — it is now targeting educated professionals directly.

The myth that AI only affects the unskilled

Some argue that AI mainly affects educated men and women: intellectual profiles with little relational or social component. Manual trades — electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, waiters — would remain unaffected, at least for now. But that apparent safety comes with fine print: the environment of those workers will also lose purchasing power when the people around them lose their jobs.

The Louis Vuitton case serves as an example: 40% of its workforce was laid off after implementing enterprise organization software. They were not assembly-line workers: they were skilled employees. The difference between a robot and a human, some analyses say, is that the robot does not need to commute or heating.

The temptation of basic income and the class clash

Among those affected, the demand for a universal basic income is growing. It is no coincidence that, as the arrival of AI is announced, there is talk of raising the base salary to 1,800 euros. The question of who pays the bill for automation remains open, with an uncomfortable fact: those who looked down on the "nerds" now see that their jobs are not untouchable either. The future will not be a toaster, as some believed.