NOURNEWS- “One morning, we wake up and find that an army of robots has taken over the Earth. They're driving cars instead of us; they're going to the classroom and teaching our children instead of teachers; they're telling the news instead of TV presenters; they're picking bricks instead of building workers; welcoming us to restaurants instead of waiters; and putting food made by a robot on the table. Pilot robots, military robots, thinking robots, worker robots, politician robots, lawyer robots, physician robots, etc. It's time to open our eyes and wake up from this bad dream.”
If someone told you the above story a decade ago, you'd think it was part of a Hollywood movie, but there is no day goes on without the world's most popular newspapers or popular TV networks having a story about artificial intelligence and its newness, especially about robots that are supposed to do things faster, cheaper, and better than human beings. Of course, no one would mind having a free robot servant do its recurring subpoenas, but the problem starts when people think that artificial intelligence is going to replace them in a job that is now theirs, making money and making a living that belong to them.
It's not wrong to say that most people who are concerned about AI's role in the job market are worried about losing their jobs first and foremost. The question is, to what extent is this fear real?
To answer this question, we need to go back to history; it is true that the use of artificial intelligence is not a precedent or a normal occurrence in the past centuries, but there are clear examples such as the Industrial Revolution that involved humans of that time with similar concerns today. For the invention of new spinning and knitting machines made it possible to increase production with less energy and manpower; locomotives, steamships, and automobiles replaced animals, and communications with telegraphs and radios heralded the beginning of a new era unknown and perhaps unpredictable to humans.
Although there was a serious concern of a wide range of people, especially the working class, that machines would replace them and that they would lose their jobs and their critical income, but after a few years four realities lessened the intensity of this collective panic.
First, no change happens overnight, and humans have the opportunity to adjust and recover from changes.
Second, machines may destroy some jobs, but they create new jobs and opportunities in parallel with technological advances and complexities.
It's also true that machines can do things that were repetitive, hard, and difficult for humans much easier than us, but they'll never replace humans and, finally, no single technology has ever been able to bring about a dramatic change in the world.
Many believe these four facts are true not only about artificial intelligence, but about any technological advances. Accordingly, artificial intelligence and its greater presence in the labor market will not be surprising for at least the next 20 to 25 years, especially in tasks that require human interpretation.
It is also clear that artificial intelligence will lead to the loss of several thousand jobs, but like the Industrial Revolution, it will create new job opportunities. AI can take care of mundane tasks while allowing humans to focus on more creative, strategic, and valuable pursuits. But, more importantly, AI is still far from being intelligent at this time.
NOURNEWS