That's a bit too simplistic; would a business have paid IBM the same overheads to tabulate and send bills with a computer instead of a pool of billing staff? I

That's a bit too simplistic; would a business have paid IBM the same overheads to tabulate and send bills with a computer instead of a pool of billing staff? In business the only justification for machinery and development is that you are somehow reducing overheads. The tech industry gets a bit warped in the pseudo-religious zeal around the how and that's why the investments are so high right now. And to be transparent I'm very bearish on what we are being marketed to as "AI"; I see value in the techs flying underneath this banner and it will certainly change white collar jobs but there's endless childish and comical hubris in the space from the fans, engineers, and oligarchs jockeying to control the space and narratives.