The “they” are the wealthy executives and investors doing whatever they can to optimize every single penny into their pockets

In a way it is “the humanity doing it to themselves”, but they sure aren’t asking the average worker how they feel about it, or letting them have any easier time because of it. If enough work is automated, they’d rather fire people and have one person work for two while the second person starves.

in this specific case “they” are tech corporations, tech ceos and their respective shareholders which might include a part of the global burgeoise.

i think this tech would be used much differently if the rest of the knowledgeable people in humanity had a say/vote on it, besides financial interest.