Imagine a world where robots and computers perform most of what we do today. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? However, this notion may not be wonderful for all. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is on the increase and becoming more intelligent by the day. It is now capable of performing things that were once only in the domain of human capability—oftentimes more quickly and more effectively! This situation suggests that there are individuals who may find themselves unemployed due to the fact that computers can work faster, are less expensive, and have the advantage of not needing to rest or take breaks like humans.
Therefore, let’s have a talk about what is happening, which jobs AI would do away with, and why certain individuals worry about it.
AI Is Developing Rapidly
A few years ago, computers were not as strong and used to perform only simple tasks. They needed to be provided with detailed instructions by humans telling them what to do step by step. But now, artificial intelligence has come a long way and even learns. It learns by observing things around, listening carefully, and enhancing its performance step by step. This amazing technology can talk like human beings, write creative stories, paint beautiful pictures, drive cars, and even create original music. So, artificial intelligence is going beyond the role of a simple assistant—it is beginning to perform job tasks that were left to humans earlier.
The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast. Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast—it is growing at a pace close to exponential. The risk of something seriously dangerous happening is in the five-year time frame. 10 years at most – —Elon Musk
Jobs That AI Is Taking Away
AI is transforming in the majority of industries, but some jobs are impacted more than others. Let us take a look at the biggest industries that are being impacted by AI.
1. Office Work (Farewell, Paperwork!)
Most of the population who are currently employed are working in office-based jobs, typing emails, reports of all kinds, and data processing. But with the advent of artificial intelligence technology, most of these functions can be handled by machines now! AI software can read through incoming emails and respond accordingly, make detailed reports, and process gigabytes of data in a matter of seconds. So, jobs that were thought to be an absolute necessity at one point, like data entry, customer care, and even some writing positions, are slowly becoming history, as AI can accomplish all of this faster and at lower cost.
2. Factory Work: The Incredible Resilience of Robots in the Workplace (Robots Don’t Get Tired)
Factories employed machines for years, yet the latest robots that are powered by AI do a whole lot more these days. They will never require vacations, they don’t have room for error, and they don’t even take paychecks. That’s doom news for factory employees whose households rely on the employment to carry on.
3. Driving Jobs (Artificial Intelligence Drives the Car)
Self-driving cars are becoming increasingly apparent, and they have the capacity to revolutionize the traditional transport occupations like taxiing, trucking, and delivery work. The AI platforms behind these cars never require rest, get diverted, or even need breaks as human drivers, and this renders them extremely cost-effective. Whereas companies view this technology as a means of saving operational costs by an enormous margin, it also threatens the income of millions of workers, whose occupation becomes obsolete.
4. Retail Stores and Restaurants (Can Cashiers Be Phased Out?)
Have you ever checked out at a self-check kiosk? With the advancement of artificial intelligence, it is becoming ever more possible to operate retail shops with many fewer workers. Aside from this, fast food chains are now starting to use sophisticated robots that are able to take orders from customers and even prepare food items quickly. In addition to this, there are some stores that are now experimenting with new AI-based checkout systems that are able to operate independently without the help of traditional cashiers. This new trend holds the potential to reduce job opportunities for restaurant and retail workers, which is something to note.
5. The fields of Art, Music, and Writing
A Showcase of Creative Capability in Artificial Intelligence! You might think AI is not creative, but it is! AI now writes songs, creates paintings, and even makes films. This frightens artists, musicians, and writers. Companies love AI because it is cheaper and quicker than using human beings to make things
Why Are People Concerned?
Artificial Intelligence is not all bad; of course, though, it also presents some dramatic challenges for some employees across fields. When hearing that AI would potentially replace you, what then do you do? Changing positions is never normally an easy venture, and employment is often sufficiently difficult to undertake. In addition, it would be wise to note that just not everyone might have the necessary skill to career-change easily.
Others maintain that AI will generate new jobs. But will there be enough? And will they be simple for people to obtain? No one knows for certain.
AI is not perfect, either. It does not “think” the way a human does, so it will sometimes make bad decisions. It can be biased, unfair, or plain wrong in ways people do not expect.
What Are Our Options?
Since artificial intelligence is not going anywhere, we must use it with caution and wisdom. Keeping that in mind, below are some suggestions to ponder upon:
- New skills have to be learned, as the kind of work that entails a lot of creativity, empathy, and successful problem-solving is much more difficult for artificial intelligence to mimic or replace.
- Work together with AI – Don’t fight AI, but work along with it to simplify your work.
- Call for regulation – Governments need to formulate and implement comprehensive policies that are intended to safeguard the interests and rights of workers as well as ensure that artificial intelligence is being used in a responsible and ethical way.
- Be positive – While there will certainly be some jobs lost in the changing job market, there will be a new breed of jobs as well that will emerge as a consequence. We need to be prepared and eager to make the changes.
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The Future: Is It Good or Is It Bad?
AI is fantastic. It helps doctors, gets work done quicker, and even entertains us. But it also makes life harder for some staff members. The future of AI is ours and how we choose to employ it. Will it make life better for all of us, or just help big business cut costs?
One thing is certain: the evolution of artificial intelligence, or AI, will not fade away anytime soon. The most we can do is to ready ourselves for the various changes and transformation it will definitely bring into our lives and society.
What do you think? Is AI good or bad? Let’s discuss!
