AI and Automation: Will Robots Take Over Our Jobs
In recent years AI, artificial intelligence, and automation have become an extremely influential topic over the past few years. Numerous jobs across many industries, such as manufacturing to healthcare to finance to engineering, have all discussed AI potentially taking over. With machines getting smarter, faster, and stronger, society gets more and more worried as they ask: Will robots take over? The concern for this is extremely reasonable, as robots seem to be growing more conscious every single day.
History of AI and Automation
The speed that AI continues to expand is at an exponential rate. In order to understand and appreciate how we got to our current day technologies we must comprehend how we got here. From the industrial revolution in the 18th century to the upbringing of computers in the 20th century, machines have continuously replaced human work in order to increase its efficiency and productivity. Many revolutionary automations were created in the industrial revolution such as the invention of steam engines, railroads, and internal combustion engines. Many more inventions threatened to replace human jobs, but history shows us that although many were replaced new jobs came to light.
In today’s world AI and automation are on a completely different scale and scope. AI powered machines are not just performing physical tasks they are learning and adapting to these tasks making different and improved decisions. The continued and exponential evolution of AI has caused worry in the job industry in whether AI will end up replacing many peoples jobs or replacing industries as a whole.
What is AI Capable of Today?
The AI of today’s world is capable of numerous tasks that allow them to work more efficiently than humans. One of the most vital abilities that AI poses is the ability to recognize patterns and analyze data at astonishing speeds. By analyzing massive data trends and detecting trends AI has the ability to make accurate predictions. This makes AI extremely valuable in numerous industries. It also has the ability to process and help understand languages. Natural language processing (NLP) is a branch in Artificial Intelligence that allows AI to help translate, understand, and help generate human languages. This is also reshaping numerous industries.
Looking past the obvious mental capabilities AI has it also possesses the ability to do physical tasks. Numerous automated robots are working in plants, warehouses, and even farms. These automated robots have the ability to complete dangerous and physically taxing tasks without risking a human life and having better precision and control. Surprisingly AI has been able to demonstrate creative work as well generating art, music, and many other forms of creative work. As impressive as this is, it still has ways to go before replacing human creativity.
The Jobs That Are at the Greatest Risk
Some types of jobs are greater than others. Namely jobs that automation can easily replace, jobs that have predictable movements and repetitive tasks. These jobs may also require a high level of accuracy but due to the functions of automated robots they are able to mimic the high level of accuracy with ease. The eight jobs that are at the highest risk of AI taking over are,
Manufacturing jobs
Retail and commerce jobs
Transportation jobs
Basic data entry and analysis
Financial analysis
Travel agents and itinerary planners
Translators
Tax preparation and accounting roles
On the other hand, jobs that require more creative and emotional intelligence are on the safer side due to AI having a difficult time mimicking human interactions.
New Jobs and Opportunities
While AI and automation have replaced and may replace numerous jobs in the future it also opens up many more job opportunities. The rise in AI calls for people to be in control of it. AI presents many threats that go past taking jobs and cause the entire world to worry about it going down the wrong path. This is why there must be many jobs that are able to keep it in check. AI and machine learning engineers that use AI to its best ability. In the current day AI is extremely helpful but only if you use it properly. Ensuring that we have people who have the capabilities to use AI to its best potential allows us to have AI be as helpful as possible. We also need cybersecurity specialists who can ensure the safety that we need from AI. Without that it will be difficult to completely tell the public that AI is nothing to worry about. Experts can also provide evidence in order to gain confidence from the public. Lastly we will need robot technicians. Robot technicians will help maintain the automated robots that are doing physical labor. This will ensure that all the robots are in proper condition.
Don’t Panic, Adapt
The fear that robots will take our jobs is a very legitimate concern due to the exponential rate that they are developing. But the future will not just be shaped by technology it will also be shaped by choices and decisions we make. One thing is for sure, change is coming. By staying flexible and adapting to these changes we can prepare for the future and work alongside Artificial Intelligence.
https://www.coursera.org/articles/history-of-ai
Timeline History of Automation - How Automation Was Evolving – Progressive Automations\
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