Author: mlesseg

How AI is Shaping Port Operations and Worker Rights

Posted on by mlesseg

The recent longshoremen’s agreement has brought critical issues into focus, particularly the union’s demand to exclude automation and artificial intelligence (AI) from port operations. While this stance reflects a legitimate concern about job security, it also raises broader questions about the balance between protecting workers, embracing technological innovation, and addressing societal impacts. Here’s a closer look at these intertwined issues.

Worker Compensation and Union Advocacy

Labor unions, such as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), play an essential role in advocating for fair wages, improved healthcare, and better working conditions. The recent strike along the East and Gulf Coasts demonstrated the union’s ability to secure significant gains, including wage increases and enhanced benefits over six years. These outcomes are vital for workers grappling with rising living expenses. (Source: AFL-CIO)

However, the union’s firm opposition to incorporating AI and automation has sparked debates. While this resistance aims to protect jobs, critics argue it could hinder innovation, reduce efficiency, and impact the economy at large. The challenge lies in achieving a balance that safeguards workers while allowing progress. (Source: Economic Policy Institute)

Environmental and Public Health Concerns

Ports are critical economic hubs, but they are also major sources of pollution. Diesel-powered trucks, cranes, and ships contribute significantly to air pollution, affecting both workers and nearby residents. Exposure to these emissions has been linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and even cancer. (Source: EPA)

Technological solutions, such as electric-powered equipment and AI-driven systems, could help mitigate these environmental impacts. For instance, automated systems can streamline operations, reducing idle times and emissions. However, implementing these innovations requires collaboration among unions, employers, and policymakers. (Source: Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association)

The Role of AI and Automation

AI and automation offer transformative potential for port operations by:

  1. Boosting Efficiency: Automated cranes and AI-driven logistics systems can handle cargo faster and with greater accuracy than manual processes, reducing delays and errors. (Source: McKinsey)
  2. Enhancing Safety: By automating hazardous and repetitive tasks, these technologies can minimize workplace accidents and improve worker safety. (Source: OSHA)
  3. Lowering Emissions: AI can optimize traffic flow within ports, reducing vehicle idle times and cutting emissions. (Source: MIT Technology Review)

Despite these benefits, fear of job loss remains a major obstacle. Integrating AI in a way that complements human labor—rather than replacing it—could alleviate these concerns. Programs focused on retraining and upskilling workers can prepare them for new roles in a technologically advanced environment. (Source: World Economic Forum)

Government Intervention and Public Interests

The government plays a pivotal role in ensuring that critical industries operate smoothly while safeguarding public health and economic stability. When labor agreements restrict progress in ways that could harm the public, intervention may be warranted. Federal agencies could, for instance, require the adoption of cleaner technologies to address pollution, even if it necessitates revisiting certain contractual provisions. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)

Financial incentives, such as grants or tax breaks, could also encourage ports to adopt sustainable technologies while maintaining job security. Achieving these outcomes requires collaborative efforts among unions, employers, and policymakers. (Source: Brookings Institution)

Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach

The longshoremen’s agreement underscores the complexities of balancing labor rights, technological advancements, and public health. A path forward must involve:

By addressing these priorities, ports can evolve into efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable hubs that benefit workers, businesses, and surrounding communities alike.

This blog post was created with the help of Pi and ChatGPT. This was a discussion I had with Pi during an episode on my podcast: Matt & Pi talk about stuff. I tried having Pi write this blog but it was not quite enough for what I wanted so I took the transcript of the section when me and Pi were talking about the longshoreman and put it into ChatGPT and had it write the blog and make the picture.

Distrust and the media

Posted on by mlesseg

Someone recently told me that the younger generations are more distrusting of the media than his (older) generation ever was. A couple thoughts came into mind after hearing his statement: “Why is that?” and “It must have been nice to live in a time where you could take what the media said as true.”

Thinking more about why people are more distrusting of the media now than before, I realized how different the times are. With the invention of the internet and smartphones came the ability to receive information instantaneously, enabling people to connect through various forms of communication (texting, social media, video calls) giving rise to the demand for instant information or connection.

When a news story breaks, there is a hurry to be the first one to report on it, often leading to rushed and inaccurate information being reported. Even if corrections or updated information is later released, it is likely too late because the information has already spread to so many and they have probably already moved on to the next story anyway.

Scams have increased with technology along with the amount of people who have fallen victim to these scams. With people being scammed through phone calls, emails, texts, identity theft, and countless other ways, it surprises me how there are still people who trust anything.

Not only that, story after story come out telling of high-profile people, people in authority or prestige, who are thought to be of high moral character only to find out they were lying, cheating, stealing, or performing other disgusting acts against their fellow humans. Even “friends” on social media cannot always be trusted with filters changing people’s looks and most posting only the best parts of their lives creates a skewed vantage of who they truly are.

With all the ways people are deceived, it is no wonder the younger generations are more distrusting of not only the media but simply in general. For me personally, I am leery of most things, not believing in something without proof which is why I wondered what it must have been like to live in a time with less deception.

Now, it is entirely possible there was just as much deception back then as there is now (however unlikely), and people simply did not know any better, or the internet has made it easier for this deception to exposed. In either instance, living without the thought of whether something was true or not must have been peaceful. The uncertainty experienced by people now likely contributes to increased anxiety.

Of course, media is not all bad or untruthful, and can be wonderful and is wonderful. Stories are written and shared about life and the experiences we all go through, whether good or bad. Sometimes, the bad parts of a story need to be shared so the good parts are highlighted. Sometimes, bad things need to be revealed so people will take action. Poems and books are written for pleasure, movies are made for entertainment, and music is played so we can dance.

Hopefully, more media will be produced with honesty, integrity, quality and creativity to reform the negative perceptions about media and its trustworthiness.

What is Media?

Posted on by mlesseg

There is a standard definition of what media is, but I do not care about that definition. To me, media is whatever sparks something inside of you. When watching news on television, it may spark anger, when viewing photos it may spark joy or jealousy, listening to different genres of music can spark various reactions from peace to excitement. Media is making you feel something.

When someone releases some sort of media, they are trying to spark something in you. It may be to create a sense of want for their product or it may be to incite a reaction to draw awareness to something. They create the media they want you to have, but what kind of media do you want to have? Advertisements have become distracting and clutter the screen. They interrupt the video or music we are listening to and distract us from the moment.

When my wife was in labor with our first child, we had a music streaming service on a classical music station to keep my wife relaxed. She was for a half of an hour or so before the commercial began blaring taking away the relaxing moment with my wife yelling to turn it off. Shouldn’t we have more control of our media and more say in what we want. What about interacting with media on a new level, a deeper level?

Matthew Lesseg Media strives to do just that. Media should not be like a fast food meal: quick, easy, and full of empty calories. Media should be a cooked to order meal that takes time, is nutritious yet delicious, leaving one satisfied after eating it. Why not make media more personal? Why not make media about you? Wish you could read an article and wish you could read both sides of the story? Us too. Wish you could watch a video with multiple angles and not just one biased angle? Us too. And with Matthew Lesseg Media, that is exactly what you will get.