MIT came up with “Iceberg Index” which is an AI labor index!

ComputerWorld.com reported that “MIT has started taking a count of AI agents around the world to get a larger view on how technology could replace human labor. The “Iceberg Index” counts the different types of AI agents conducting work previously done by human labor. The initial index numbers indicate that just 13,000 agents could expose 151 million human workers, or about 11.7% of the workforce population, to job or wage losses.” The December 3, 2025 article entitled “MIT creates an AI labor index as agents invade human economies” (https://www.computerworld.com/article/4100257/mit-creates-an-ai-labor-index-as-agents-invade-human-economies.html) included these comments:

The research paper said the AI agent population — which could ultimately overtake the human population — needs to be quantified. The metric provides a snapshot of how the AI era is shifting productivity, skill development, and job creation and development.

Because existing employment numbers from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics look backward, not forward, an AI job index is needed, the researchers said. They argued the data offers a forward-looking view how AI will replace workers and helps leaders plan for skills development and investment planning.

“The labor market is evolving faster than current data systems can capture,” the researchers said, adding that “existing workforce planning frameworks were designed for human-only economies.”

The job or wage losses are due to automation at companies, which is already happening, the study notes. AI is commonly used to generate code and is being used to automate a variety of administrative and support tasks.

Typical employment indexes cover job loss numbers, but fail to capture opportunities created by AI in areas such as gig marketplaces, AI copilots, and freelance networks. “By the time these changes appear in official statistics, policymakers may already be reacting to yesterday’s disruptions, committing billions to programs that target skills already displaced,” the researchers said.

Very interesting!