‘24
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s. Since then, it has been featured in hundreds of science fiction novels and movies such as The Avengers, Star Trek, and Star Wars. There are two key elements of artificial intelligence: machine learning and deep learning. Machine learning enables computers to perform tasks that they have not been explicitly programmed to do based on a database, using algorithms. Deep learning, on the other hand, is a subset of machine learning that uses a complex series of algorithms to mimic the human brain’s neural networks.
In the past few decades, the fear of AI and robots replacing humans’ jobs has become endemic. Though the fear of losing human jobs may be based on some logic, the installment of AI in the workplace will also open up new career paths and opportunities.
AI has many benefits in the workplace. For example, AI can improve the efficiency and productivity of factories by helping manufacturers predict machine failure, therefore improving worker safety and production rates. Management of resources (monitoring the location, condition, and use of resources) is another job that machine learning can take on, easing the burden on management teams. Microsoft 365 Copilot is one of the newest technologies that is adjacent to a virtual personal assistant. It can summarize emails, take notes on phone calls, and generate user responses to messages. Because AI can manage repetitive tasks that are required in day-to-day duties, employees can focus their efforts on more impactful and creative work.
Many low-wage jobs are at risk of full automation. These jobs include fast-food service workers, janitorial staff, and cashiers. The Center for American Progress (CAP) and other organizations have been advocating for the federal government to enforce that AI should only augment, not replace, workers’ roles in addition to assisting displaced workers and improving the unemployment benefits system. Despite the loss of low-wage jobs, the increasing use of AI has led to a higher demand for workers with strong soft skills (emotional intelligence), opening up new career pathways.
Another major component in the rise of AI is data privacy. Artificial intelligence relies on being fed a large amount of information to make decisions. However, it is important that data collected by the machine is gathered with the consent of the user and within fair bounds. In the last few months, federal senators have announced their plans to work on privacy protection bills in response to ChatGPT and other AI.
Artificial intelligence is not bound to replace all workers, but rather to complement them. For instance, teachers may choose to use AI to develop personalized lesson plans for their students, monitor students’ progress, or automate attendance in the near future. Computer scientists may use chatbot sites to check over their code for bugs. The future of AI in the workplace remains unclear, but there is no reason to fear quite yet.
