Artificial intelligence is finally creeping out of the lab into the real world.
It is disrupting
almost all industries, ranging from healthcare to business and warfare. Regrettably, if
you read headlines, you have seen how the business community is obsessed with what
AI can do better than humans. Also, AI is publicized negatively as cannibalizing jobs,
creating panic among workers.
However, it's time to change the conversation. Let's think about how AI and humans can
do better together. The concept of AI replacing jobs is misinformed and unfounded. AI
will not be a job killer but a job creator and help humans work better.
1. AI will Create New Jobs
AI is not going to replace all jobs. It will displace some jobs while creating others. The
Future of Jobs 2018 report contends that AI will generate 133 million jobs while
displacing 75 million jobs. Therefore, 58 million new jobs will be created in future.
According to a PwC report, AI will create more than 7.2 million jobs in the UK alone in
the next two decades. McKinsey affirms that 77% of companies do not expect the size
of their workforce to change as a result of embracing automation and AI.
Behshad Behzadi, one of Google's leading engineers, affirms that AI will create new
jobs, some that do not exist currently. He gives an example of a flight attendant. Before
the invention of planes, such a position was inexistent and unknown. No one could ever
predict that such a job would appear. Likewise, with AI, new posts will spring up, some
that no one can predict right now. What's important is to perceive AI as an opportunity,
not a threat.
AI will bring jobs. For instance, it will create jobs for employing AI expertise in new fields
and applications. Also, workers will be required to develop and train AI models and
maintain the systems.
Another area that AI will create new jobs is in the education sector. Universities and
colleges nationwide will require instructors to teach machine learning to students. Also,
organizations will be looking for coaches and training experts to train their staff on AI
and its applications in the business world.
2. AI will Redefine Jobs
With AI, jobs will not disappear, but shift and evolve. AI will change how people do their
jobs. It will redefine roles so that people perform the tasks they are best equipped to do.
For example, a customer service agent does not have to retrieve and analyze data from
a CRM to address a customer's issue. Instead, AI will analyze data so that the agent
can make a real-time decision on the customer issue. Consequently, the agent offers
customers seamless service.
AI can be a tool for improving the quality of life. It can help humans work faster and
more efficiently than before. AI will create opportunities for workers to use uniquely
human traits like creativity and empathy. It will allow workers to develop new ideas while
passing insights to their AI counterparts. Also, AI will assist employees in propelling
their careers to higher levels of analysis and strategic value. AI allows you to pursue
careers that challenge you, offer autonomy, and foster a sense of meaning and
wellbeing.
3. Automate Repetitive and Mundane
Tasks
Among the main benefits of AI is automating repetitive and mundane tasks and
liberating humans from routine work. A prime example is the invention of the modern
spreadsheet. Before this invention, people had to create budgets, forecasts, and
payrolls manually. This process was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone.
The spreadsheet made numerical calculations easier and seamless. But, did this
invention result in substantial job losses? The simple answer is NO. It made financial
professions more efficient and productive because they could divert their time and
energy to other important tasks instead of the complicated calculations.
With AI, humans will no longer have to perform time-consuming and labor-intensive
tasks such as accounting, assembly, and data entry. Instead, they will focus
on productive work that makes us human. For instance, an AI solution can be used in
customer support. It can handle repetitive customer issues such as refunds, passwords
resets, and package tracking that consume valuable human time. The support team
handles the nuanced questions that require care, empathy, and support that robots can't
offer. An article in The Wall Street Journal titled The Robots are Coming, Welcome
Them affirms that AI solutions like robots allow you to use your brains rather than your
hands to perform physically tasking jobs.
The current workforce needs a new set of skills to perform tasks that machines can't
replicate and other emerging roles. Here are several skills that will be competitive in the
AI-driven world.
Creative skills: AI is helping people write hit songs, incredible articles, and press
releases. However, AI can't replicate a person's ability to create and invent.
Social skills: machines lack the interpersonal skills and intercultural sensitivity
found in humans.
Cognitive skills: machines are less effective in making decisions based on data.
Nevertheless, skills like decision-making, negotiation, reasoning, and problem-
solving will be indispensable for human workers.
Emotional skills: while AI can help doctors and nurses diagnose diseases and
determine treatment options, it cannot replicate empathy and emotional skills.
The human touch and conversation with a physician will remain relevant.
Technology skills: workers will need technology skills to create technologies and
train complex AI systems.
Bottom Line
Technologies throughout history have always faced immense criticism. In 1889, critics
of the telephone referred to it as 'a perpetual menace to life and property.' Similarly, in
the 15th century, critics of the printing press feared that it would displace scribe monks.
These technologies did not live to their critics' expectations. Instead, they helped
humans through history.
Likewise, the critics of AI who suppose that it will replace jobs will be disappointed when
it creates millions of jobs, some that are inexistent today. AI should not be feared as a
job killer but embraced as a job enabler that can create numerous employment
opportunities while redefining employees' roles.
A self-driving car will be safer and accurate on the road compared
to humans who make errors and goes to show the incoming wave
of AI in the job market. Translation and speech recognition
