Will Artificial Intelligence Redefine Human Jobs?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technological innovation. There has definitely been a positive impact from AI as technologists and data scientists across the world have revealed that the technology could be employed to solve at least one layer of problems plaguing human society today. Solutions in this regard are also being deployed, backed with continuous research. However, with research at the forefront, a section of technologists across the world have also expressed concerns that AI will replace jobs done by human beings.
Similar concerns were expressed even after the advent of modern computers; and even before this era. However, these fears were allayed as technological innovations were properly deployed. This resulted in jobs being augmented and not replaced altogether. Hence, there is a shred of optimism with respect to Artificial intelligence and other new age technologies as well.
Going by the way in which AI functions, it uses Deep Learning, Neural Networks, and Data to analyse inputs. Automation is yet another functional aspect of AI through which human tasks are replicated and digitally performed. This is by far the biggest scare as far as human jobs are concerned. But this is only one side of the coin. Technological innovations like AI will not replace human jobs, they will instead help us redefine the same.
Now, consider a manufacturing environment. Within manufacturing units, there are bound to be cumbersome processes at the floor level such as maintaining count of raw materials used, checking equipment, supervision of labourers, and monitoring the exact manufacturing operations. Accomplishing these tasks obviously requires huge manpower. What if these processes are automated? Humans can naturally focus on lesser cumbersome processes such as administration, programming (and automation of) the AI and thereby focus on the overall growth of the manufacturing unit. Work, otherwise cumbersome, is taken care of by the AI and thus simplified to a greater extent. This augmentation is a byproduct of AI deployment. Cumbersome jobs are set to become smarter whilst relieving humans of one layer of load. Productivity and performance of humans is also bound to increase by simplification of tasks.
This scenario is applicable to other sectors of society as well; such as healthcare where management of patient data and making healthcare services accessible to patients on a timely basis are the biggest challenges. AI deployment here could augment lab technicians and add smartness to their jobs by dynamically populating patient data and showing up their past histories (if any) to doctors for better management and diagnosis.In this scenario, even patients can be empowered to smartly employ initial diagnosis techniques and these reports could be sent to doctors/care givers electronically thereby ensuring timeliness as well as offloading burden on caregivers.
The above scenario, with research still ongoing, could potentially hold true for the business sector as well which is estimated by experts to face maximum technological disruption and smartness with respect to deployment of AI. Hence, at this juncture of ongoing research, AI is still on top of technological innovation; unless proved otherwise through reliable research.
