The development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology has significantly impacted various aspects of human life. In 2020, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) recorded that around 2.7 million industrial robots operated worldwide. This rapid growth raises a fundamental question: Will humans be replaced by robots in various aspects of life?
Humans play an essential role in society and the world of work. As social creatures, humans have the unique ability to interact, collaborate, and use complex skills such as emotions, creativity, and problem-solving. On the other hand, advances in robotics technology have expanded in various sectors of life, including the manufacturing industry, health services, transportation, and households. Robots and artificial intelligence are capable of performing tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, or require high precision with high efficiency.
However, concerns about replacing humans with robots have also arisen. In this case, expert opinion can provide valuable perspective. Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro, a famous scientist and robotics expert, believes that interactions between humans and robots will become more natural and significant in everyday life. He believes that robots will become true friends for humans in the future. On the other hand, Prof. Rodney Brooks, a renowned robotics expert, argues that concerns about the complete replacement of humans by robots are overblown. According to him, robots can help lighten the burden of human work and expand our capabilities, not replace us altogether.
POTENTIAL TO REPLACE HUMAN BEINGS WITH ROBOTS
The technology available in robots offers various capabilities and potential that are considered for replacing humans with robots.
1. WORKING TIME EFFICIENCY
Robots and AI systems have the potential to work faster, more efficiently, and have less chance of errors. A study conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute in 2017 showed that around 50% of existing jobs can be automated with the help of existing technology. In some cases, using robots and automation can reduce the time required to complete a task by up to 20%.
2. EMPLOYEE COSTS
Robots can reduce the distribution of salaries or costs for workers in the long term, allowing these costs to be used for operational expenses and maintenance of robotic machines.
3. LEVEL OF JOB RISK
Jobs that have a high level of risk or include unsafe work can be replaced by robotic technology, increasing workforce safety.
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS
IMPACT ON JOBS
Replacing humans with robots in employment could significantly affect various economic and social lives.
Routine Job Changes
Robots tend to replace repetitive tasks, such as data processing, assembly, packaging and maintenance, to make them more efficient.
Increased Productivity
The ability of robots to work accurately can reduce production costs and increase revenue.
Changing skill requirements
With robots, human workers are encouraged to develop more complex skills, such as honing creativity, leadership and social interaction, which are difficult to replace with robots.
IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND CULTURE
The replacement of humans with robots has far-reaching consequences for society and culture. It can significantly change our social interactions, our values, and our way of life.
Changes in the Way of Social Interaction
The use of virtual assistants or chatbots can change the way we interact with other people.
Lifestyle changes
Technological developments change people’s daily lifestyles. Automation affects daily routines, such as cleaning the house with automated robots.
Education and Learning
Virtual mentors, chatbots, automatic evaluations, distance learning, and other technologies make information easier to find, which causes society to develop more quickly.
ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
The use of robots impacts work and significantly impacts economic aspects.
Production cost
The use of robots in production can reduce long-term labour costs. No salary or benefits are required. Low production costs can enable companies to increase economic growth.
Technology Innovation and Development
New innovations and discoveries in robotics create new opportunities for economic growth. With rapid growth, the digital economy can change traditional business models.
Increasing competitiveness
Robotization can reduce production costs, improve quality, and be more efficient, enabling companies to compete in international markets, such as the automotive sector.
BENEFITS OF ROBOTIZATION
Robots and automation technology help humans work in various sectors by involving robots, software and systems designed for purposes that can replace humans.
1. BENEFITS OF ROBOTIZATION IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Robotisation is used to carry out repetitive production tasks that require high accuracy, such as installing component parts accurately and quickly. According to a report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in 2020, the manufacturing industry is the sector with the most extensive use of robots. About 63% of the total number of industrial robots is used in the manufacturing sector.
2. BENEFITS OF ROBOTIZATION IN AGRICULTURE
In the agricultural sector, robotisation is essential in supporting farmers in achieving optimal results. Robots such as spraying robots and automatic irrigation systems increase plant productivity. The presence of agricultural robots also reduces the risk of work accidents.
3. BENEFITS OF ROBOTIZATION IN THE HEALTH FIELD
In the healthcare sector, robotisation helps improve healthcare by helping medical personnel work, maintaining consistent quality of service, and reducing the risk of the spread of disease. The Da Vinci surgical robot has been used in 10 million operations worldwide as of December 2021.
ROBOTISATION CHALLENGES
The use of robotisation provides many benefits to humans in various fields. However, like innovation, robotisation also has limitations and challenges that must be considered.
1. SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS
Robots connected to networks or systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks. These attacks can result in the leak of important or sensitive data or the dangerous takeover of the robot’s control.
2. LACK OF CREATIVITY AND CAPABILITY OF ADAPTATION
Robots can perform tasks accurately but have limitations in solving complex problems or dealing with situations that are generally not encountered.
3. IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
The robots, software, and infrastructure certainly require high costs. In terms of maintenance, the costs incurred continue to be an obstacle for companies with financial limitations.
CONCLUSION
The development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology has raised concerns regarding replacing humans with robots. However, humans still have an essential role in society and the world of work. Even though the use of robots is increasing in various sectors of life, humans’ role in terms of creativity, emotions, and solving complex problems remains irreplaceable.
This article aims to better understand the concerns about replacing humans with robots and to propose solutions that can maximize the potential of robotics technology in collaboration with humans.
The upcoming stage of generative AI will concentrate on independent interactive systems. This signifies a significant change for your experience with this technology.
Developing and launching AI-based systems might appear to be a large and challenging undertaking, filled with risks. However, another method of deployment is emerging: AI-based agents.
Generative AI has bolstered and enhanced the capabilities of agents, which have historically been challenging to configure and oversee. Recent research demonstrates that these more straightforward services are attracting the attention of technologists and their business leaders.
According to a report from consultant McKinsey, AI-based agents represent the “next frontier” of AI. The report anticipates that the influence of these agents—defined as “digital systems that can independently interact in a dynamic world”—will grow.
Despite the existence of these systems for some time, “the natural-language capabilities of gen AI unveil new possibilities, enabling systems that can plan their actions, use online tools to complete those tasks, collaborate with other agents and people, and learn to improve their performance,” stated the McKinsey team of authors, led by Lareina Yee.
The next phase of generative AI is likely to be even more “transformative,” as suggested by Yee and her colleagues. “We are beginning an evolution from knowledge-based, gen-AI-powered tools—say, chatbots that answer questions and generate content—to gen AI-enabled agents that use foundation models to execute complex, multistep workflows across a digital world. In short, the technology is moving from thought to action.”
A majority of 1,100 tech executives (82%) who participated in a recent survey from consultant Capgemini indicated their intention to integrate AI-based agents across their organizations within the next three years—up from 10% with functioning agents at the current time.
The report found that seven in ten respondents (70%) would be willing to trust an AI agent to analyze and synthesize data, and 50% would trust an AI agent to send a professional email on their behalf. Approximately three-quarters of respondents (75%) stated their intention to deploy AI agents to handle tasks such as generating and iteratively improving code. Other potential tasks for agents included generating and editing draft reports (70%) and website content (68%), as well as email generation, coding, and data analysis.
AI-powered agents are capable of assuming a diverse range of roles. “A virtual assistant, for instance, could plan and book a complex personalized travel itinerary, handling logistics across multiple travel platforms,” the McKinsey report said. “Using everyday language, an engineer could describe a new software feature to a programmer agent, which would then code, test, iterate, and deploy the tool it helped create.”
As another example, a vendor, Qventus, offers a customer-facing AI-based assistant called the Patient Concierge, which calls patients and reminds them of appointments, reiterates pre- and post-op guidelines, and answers general care questions.
There are six levels of AI agents, each providing increasing functionality, as outlined in a tutorial published by Amazon Web Services:
1. Simple reflex agents: Suitable for simple tasks such as resetting passwords. “Operates strictly based on predefined rules and its immediate data. It will not respond to situations beyond a given event condition action rule.”
2. Model-based reflex agents: Similar to simple reflex agents, but “rather than merely following a specific rule, evaluates probable outcomes and consequences before deciding. Builds an internal model of the world it perceives and uses that to support its decisions.”
3. Goal-based/rule-based agents: Has more robust reasoning capabilities than the reflex agents, making them suitable for “more complex tasks such as natural language processing and robotics applications.” The goal/rules-based agent “compares different approaches to help it achieve the desired outcome, and always chooses the most efficient path.”
4. Utility-based agents: “Compares different scenarios and their respective utility values or benefits”—such as helping customers search for the best airline deals. “Uses a complex reasoning algorithm to help users maximize desired outcomes.”
5. Learning agents: “Continuously learns from previous experiences to improve its results. Using sensory input and feedback mechanisms, the agent adapts its learning element over time to meet specific standards. On top of that, it uses a problem generator to design new tasks to train itself from collected data and past results.”
6. Hierarchical agents: This puts agents in charge of other agents. “The higher-level agents deconstruct complex tasks into smaller ones and assign them to lower-level agents. Each agent runs independently and submits a progress report to its supervising agent. The higher-level agent collects the results and coordinates subordinate agents to ensure they collectively achieve goals.”
Until now, software agents “have been difficult to implement, requiring laborious, rule-based programming or highly specific training of machine-learning models,” according to the McKinsey report.
“Gen AI changes that. When agentic systems are constructed using foundation models — which have been trained on extremely extensive and diverse unstructured data sets — as opposed to predefined rules, they have the potential to adjust to different situations just like LLMs can intelligently respond to prompts on which they have not been explicitly trained.”
The use of natural-language processing by AI agents also alters the situation. “Currently, in order to automate a use case, it must first be broken down into a series of rules and steps that can be codified,” stated the McKinsey team.
“These steps are normally translated into computer code and incorporated into software systems — a frequently expensive and labor-intensive process that demands significant technical expertise. Due to the use of natural language as a form of instruction by agentic systems, even complex workflows can be encoded more rapidly and easily. In addition, the process has the potential to be carried out by non-technical staff rather than software engineers.”
Recent studies indicate that only 30% of C-suite leaders are confident in their change capabilities. Even fewer believe that their teams are prepared to embrace change.
Amid significant shifts in work methods, technological advancements through generative AI, and the constant potential for unforeseeable disruptions, the ability to navigate and evaluate change has become a crucial skill for C-suite leaders.
This is the conclusion of the latest research from Accenture, ‘Change Reinvented: A New Blueprint for Continuous Meaningful, Successful Change’. However, only 30% of C-suite leaders surveyed are confident in their change capabilities, and even fewer (25%) believe their teams are ready to embrace change.
Here are the key findings of the Accenture research on change reinvention:
- 80% of entities incorporate ‘change’ into their long-term vision.
- 95% of organizations have gone through two or more transformations in the past three years, and 61% have experienced more than four and up to eight.
- 96% of C-suite leaders intend to allocate more than 5% of revenue to change projects in the next three years.
- 100% of C-suite leaders expect significant changes to their workforce.
- Only 30% of business leaders feel self-assured about their change capabilities.
The research aims to address this question — as the pace of change accelerates and organizations invest more than ever in transformational change, how can C-suite leaders ensure that they achieve greater, better, and quicker returns on their investments?
Measuring change
Accenture defines the capabilities of continuous change that can be employed to anticipate the likelihood of success, with this measurement known as the Change Capability Quotient. The measurement encompasses six components: data, influencers, experience, value, purpose, and behavioral science. Organizations that score highly on the Change Capability Quotient are 2.2 times more likely to be Reinventors.
A considerable part of the research concentrated on data maturity in business. The report emphasizes the utilization of data to enhance the use of new technologies. The significance of using data to drive insights is also emphasized.
The report points out that leveraging real-time data and AI in change initiatives can aid leaders in understanding what changes are occurring, which areas of the company are most impacted, and what actions are best to optimize their investments.
The research reveals that AI can transform the nature of data, assisting businesses in finding new approaches to comprehend patterns of behavior and actions that are most advantageous to stakeholders. Companies are moving beyond data collection towards outcome-based measurement of key factors, including:
- Business readiness – Are employees prepared to embrace change?
- Engagement – How are employees reacting to the components of a change program, such as leadership messaging, learning interventions, and tools to support performance?
- Effectiveness – Are the designed programs producing the desired outcomes, and are results continuously enhanced by capturing data, generating insights, and customizing action?
- Sentiment – What is the impact of change on the employee experience? Is change leading to increased psychological safety to help individuals express sentiment and manage emotions in ways that can result in higher engagement and retention?
- Data-driven action – Is the planned action achieving results statistically correlated with insights from data analysis, behavioral science, and past experiences?
The research emphasizes how only 16% of the 1,000 organizations studied by Accenture stand out as leaders, possessing a high Change Capability Quotient, signifying that they excel in all six capabilities.
The report reminds business leaders of the significance of change management, purposefully, intentionally, and optimistically. Change is fundamentally about impact and accomplishing new objectives.
Entities with a high Change Capability Quotient will be more productive, innovative, and profitable. To unlock your limitless potential, the foundational elements of change capability consist of purpose, value, and experience. The building blocks of innovation are behavioral science, data, and influencers.
Accenture discovered that 55% of firms with a high Change Capability Quotient continually observe employee needs, well-being, and engagement data, and utilize digital technologies and tools to realize their goals. Almost two-thirds (64%) of companies with leading Change Capability Quotient scores utilize behavioral science and AI-powered recommendation systems to propose personalized change strategies for various stakeholder groups based on their preferences and concerns. A culture of trust plays a significant role in change. Half of the organizations with a leading Change Capability Quotient cultivate a culture of trust and openness, empowering individuals to seek guidance from influencers during times of change.
The core of new startups revolves around artificial intelligence. Here’s how you can get involved as well. For technology professionals with practical knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), there are abundant opportunities to launch new businesses. You can develop and utilize AI for an employer or use the technology for your own venture, either as a new initiative or as a supplementary source of income.
AI forms the foundation of the next wave of startups, providing agility and a disruptive edge by accelerating new business concepts from inception to the market. Technology professionals have a crucial role in building and introducing this new generation of AI-enhanced businesses.
We are at a juncture where AI-driven innovation is gaining momentum, and this change presents a multitude of opportunities for startups providing AI services, as per Sarah Wang and Shangda Xu, both associated with the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. They predicted, “We believe that AI startups addressing enterprises’ AI-centric strategic initiatives, while anticipating their pain points and transitioning from a service-centric approach to creating scalable products, will attract this new wave of investment and secure a significant market share.”
Industry leaders shared some pointers for professionals interested in establishing a business using AI.
1. Improved understanding of the customer
An AI-powered startup can gain deeper insights into the customer. For startups or new business ventures offering mainstream services such as manufacturing, healthcare products, or travel assistance, AI plays a crucial role in the most fundamental aspect: understanding the customer. Primarily, it involves engaging with the customers, which is crucial for business success.
AI-powered analytics offer comprehensive insights into customer behavior, enabling businesses to tailor their products and services to specific needs and outcomes, according to Bob Lamendola, senior VP of technology and head of Ricoh’s North America digital services center, as reported by ZDNET. “AI can significantly contribute to developing new business concepts that lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, which are vital components for establishing relevance in a competitive market.”
2. Digital management consultation
Startups usually cannot afford management consultants who charge substantial fees for offering advice on finances, marketing, or distribution. AI-based agents can provide cost-effective assistance based on learning across various industries. “Consider AI as your digital management consultant,” as shared by DataGPT co-founder and CEO Arina Curtis, whose own business launch involved a conversational AI tool, in an interview with ZDNET. “It’s excellent for sifting through extensive online data, extracting crucial insights, and proposing strategies. This is particularly valuable in well-established industries where AI can be used to dissect and understand the strategies of the industry leaders.”
3. Technology assistant for startup founders
Startups no longer need a large team of tech experts to implement AI support, at least in the initial stages. “The most remarkable aspect is how AI enables founders to launch businesses with fewer hires and resources,” mentioned Kian Katanforoosh, lecturer at Stanford University and the CEO and founder of Workera, in a discussion with ZDNET. Entrepreneurs – whether technically proficient or not – can launch a business without the necessity of scouting for technical talent and partners. Product or service design can now be executed using natural language processing through generative AI “rather than code,” further lowering the requirement for valuable technical expertise and reducing the demand for initial capital or personal investments before conceptualizing and promoting an offering.
4. Thinking big
AI can influence everything from production-level control systems to executive decision-making. “It’s not just about automating tasks,” emphasized Curtis. “It’s about creating new opportunities, redefining roles, and reshaping industries.”
“AI represents more than just an upgrade in technology; it signifies a strategic overhaul,” Curtis explained. “AI enhances operational efficiency and completely transforms customer experiences. We’re talking about creating products, services, and business models that were unimaginable before AI entered the scene.”
5. Idea generation
According to TXI’s chief innovation and strategy officer, Antonio García, ChatGPT has become a popular tool for entrepreneurs due to its ability to generate business ideas tailored for the internet. “Imagine an entrepreneur planning to launch a print-on-demand T-shirt business. With AI like ChatGPT, they can move from generating ideas to practical execution, receiving guidance on design, marketing language, and even production intricacies.”
Furthermore, Garcia highlighted advanced platforms for ideation, such as MIT’s Supermind Ideator, which demonstrates AI’s potential to not only generate ideas but to refine and deepen them, serving as a digital incubator for emerging business concepts and other challenges. In this context, AI is not just a tool but a collaborative partner in the entrepreneurial process.
Currently, generative AI is comparable to an enthusiastic, highly capable intern—quick to engage but still learning the intricacies of complex problems. The true power of AI lies in its ability to rapidly generate a multitude of business ideas, critically assess existing concepts, and align new ideas with extensive repositories of existing knowledge.
6. Accelerated automation
For a long time, automation has offered ways to streamline time-consuming mundane tasks and reduce labor costs. AI takes this capability to the next level, enabling startups to scale as rapidly as larger organizations.
“Automation through AI not only eliminates operational bottlenecks but also evens the playing field for aspiring entrepreneurs,” explained 5app’s Chief Learning Officer Steve Thompson. “From automating routine tasks to facilitating advanced data analytics, AI equips startups with the efficiency and adaptability crucial for navigating the complex business landscape.”
You want to make the most of emerging technologies, but timing is crucial. Four business leaders provide us with their advice on taking the leap.
There is a lot of talk about the transformative power of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. This hype places significant pressure on business leaders.
Professionals are eager to start using prominent generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. If the timing is right for an investment in AI, your business could gain a competitive advantage. However, if the timing is wrong, your company could invest millions in a futile project.
So, how can you determine the appropriate time to invest in emerging technologies? Four business leaders shared their insights.
1. Focus on customer needs
According to Specsavers’ head of technology customer services, Neal Silverstein, IT departments often prioritize “speeds and feeds” over meeting customers’ requirements.
Adopting emerging technology at the right time depends on understanding what your customers want, he stated. “As long as you’re validating the technology against those requirements, you’ll be in the right place.”
Another significant factor influencing the decision-making process is governance, particularly for a company like Specsavers, which handles sensitive personal data.
“There is a desire within our company to digitize more of the customer journey,” he noted. “However, there are legal obligations that keep us anchored. We are diligent in ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.”
Silverstein informed ZDNET that due to concerns about security and governance, his company is unlikely to be at the forefront of AI adoption: “We are cautious about granting AI access to colleagues’ or patients’ medical or financial records.”
Nonetheless, the company takes advantage of other emerging technologies, including augmented reality. Specsavers uses TeamViewer Tensor and Assist AR to remotely access and troubleshoot equipment, such as PCs and medical devices.
This technology has reduced the average resolution time for each IT issue by approximately 15% and increased the first-contact resolution rate from 64% to 79%. This improvement in operational efficiency allows staff to dedicate more time to meeting customer needs.
“Each pair of glasses we produce is unique, whether it’s the frame, lens, or finish the customer prefers,” he explained. “While there are aspects of a digitized journey that Specsavers will embrace and support, the adoption of emerging technology must be at the appropriate level.”
2. Focus on achieving specific business objectives
Toby Alcock, CTO of Logicalis, is another business leader who emphasizes the importance of focusing on whether new technology will bring benefits, such as improving customer experiences or enhancing internal efficiencies.
I always approach this question by considering whether it adds more value to our business. If we can measure a return on investment, then it’s worth pursuing, according to Alcock.
Professionals need to acknowledge that some AI-led initiatives might not yield a positive return. They should embrace an Agile approach and assess whether the technology will deliver a quantifiable benefit.
Alcock emphasized the importance of dipping one’s toe in the water, especially with the availability of cloud services and consumption-based models. This eliminates the need to purchase a large amount of equipment and wait for an extended period for its setup.
Considering all this evidence, Alcock indicated that the decision to invest in emerging technology ultimately hinges on business outcomes. He stressed the significance of maintaining a clear focus on business outcomes as a fundamental measure for any project.
3. Rapidly test concepts
Sophie Gallay, the global data and client IT director at French retailer Etam, mentioned that determining the right time to invest in emerging technology entails a combination of factors. She expressed that managing all processes and priorities simultaneously is particularly challenging for businesses that are not tech-oriented. Hence, her advice to other professionals is to explore opportunities as early as possible.
Gallay advised having dedicated teams for swiftly testing concepts if one aims to validate their value. She recommended against waiting to establish a roadmap to determine the value of a concept.
Gallay acknowledged the prevailing excitement about AI and emphasized her priority of assisting her organization in demonstrating potential benefits. She indicated her intention to start investing time in a concept only when she feels that validating a proof of concept would allow for scaling and product creation.
According to Gallay, companies encounter numerous challenges in a rapidly developing domain like AI. She suggested that an iterative approach can facilitate the swift scaling of valuable projects for organizations.
“We aim to have an Agile team dedicated to rigorously testing what generative AI can offer. Once we’ve substantiated its value, we can systematically scale these benefits using IT processes,” she explained.
Gallay proposed using an Agile approach and cautioned against following standard IT procedures for testing value, as this might lead to the technology becoming outdated. By that time, a newer technology would already be available in the market.
4. Utilize AI for idea generation
Tim Lancelot, head of sales enablement at software specialist MHR, stressed the importance of understanding that the decision to invest in emerging technology is not a sudden leap. He emphasized the necessity for thorough groundwork before committing financial resources.
Lancelot highlighted the usefulness of tools that can generate suggestions, provide inspiration, and save time when faced with a blank slate. He also emphasized that generative AI could aid professionals in identifying their next area of investment.
Lancelot suggested that the most effective AI use cases involve the generation of ideas, with human expertise contributing to refining and enhancing those ideas. He described AI as a team member that supplements human capabilities and facilitates the generation of progressively smarter suggestions.
He emphasized a positive outlook on AI, viewing it as a valuable tool rather than a threat to jobs. Lancelot pointed out that if AI makes part of his job redundant, it would enable him to focus on other value-added tasks, ultimately increasing the value he can offer to the business.
Thomas Frey tells us how AI and humans can coexist and complement each other and how a vision of the future can shape the present
Is AI likely to surpass humans? What will the future of work look like? What role does creativity play in a world dominated by AI? Thomas Frey, the founder of the DaVinci Institute in Colorado, shares his futuristic insights. In this discussion, he also contemplates the significant changes brought about by technological advancements in ecommerce, transportation, and healthcare.
He also comments on whether intelligence and empathy will remain challenging skills to replace. “AI, robots, and automation might never fully supplant humans, but they have the ability to enhance our effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity more than ever before in human history,” Frey states.
Edited excerpts:
Q. How do you view the dynamic between the present and the future?
The interaction between the present and future is dynamic and shaped by various elements such as technology, culture, economy, environment, and personal decisions. By grasping these connections, we can foster a brighter future for everyone.
A compelling vision of the future can greatly influence the present by altering how individuals set goals, motivating actions, promoting innovation, encouraging collaboration, or even influencing public policy. A truly engaging vision can inspire individuals and organizations to make decisions and take actions that are aligned with the envisioned future, ultimately guiding the present toward more favorable outcomes.
Q. Is there a genuine threat of AI surpassing humans?
The relationship between AI and humans is intricate and multidimensional. There are indeed areas where AI has the capability to excel beyond humans, especially in tasks that involve processing large volumes of data or resolving complex issues quickly. However, this does not imply that AI will completely replace humans or present an existential danger.
AI and humans can live alongside each other and enhance each other’s capabilities in numerous ways. By exploiting the strengths of both, we can cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship that leads to improved productivity and efficiency. For example, AI can assist humans with repetitive, mundane activities or analyze extensive datasets, while humans can contribute the creativity, empathy, and nuanced understanding that machines currently do not possess.
Q. What is the significance of creativity in a world dominated by AI?
I recently published an article titled, “The Difference between Human Creativity and Generative AI Creativity.” The differences between human creativity and generative AI creativity are substantial, yet both have unique strengths that can be leveraged and combined for exceptional results. Human creativity, grounded in personal experiences and emotions, provides intentionality and emotional depth that AI cannot imitate. While generative AI creativity is confined by its training data and algorithms, it can generate novel and technically skilled content that has the capability to expand creative horizons.
Unlocking the complete potential of both human creativity and generative AI creativity hinges on collaboration and integration. By recognizing and valuing the unique strengths of each, artists, designers, and various creative professionals can discover innovative methods to blend the two, producing pioneering work that stretches the limits of creative expression.
Q. How is the character of jobs expected to change?
Jobs will undergo considerable transformation as AI, automation, and new technologies boost the productivity of top employees by 2-10 times. Concurrently, AI will herald a new wave of entrepreneurship, different from anything seen before, and the demand for workers will soar.
New job positions, like AI specialists and robotics engineers, will come into existence, while existing jobs will be altered as automation takes over monotonous tasks. The focus on skill sets will shift more toward digital literacy, data analysis, programming, and soft skills such as adaptability and critical thinking.
Remote and flexible working arrangements will become more prevalent, driven by AI-enhanced tools. Continuous learning will be essential for remaining relevant in the job market, and AI will create a new age of entrepreneurship that offers increasingly accessible and affordable technology.
As AI integrates more into the workplace, collaboration between humans and AI will be vital, merging human creativity with machine efficiency.
Q. There is significant concern regarding ChatGPT being a threat to the search industry, especially to Google’s leading position. What types of jobs are endangered due to generative AI?
Occupations at risk due to generative AI include those that involve repetitive tasks, data analysis, and content production, such as data entry clerks, customer service agents, translators, and copywriters. Additionally, automation may also affect low-skilled jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and transportation.
At the same time, AI is enhancing our abilities. Today’s AI capabilities are built upon the knowledge, discoveries, and innovations of past humans. AI systems, such as language models, learn from a vast array of historical data that includes text, images, and other human-generated information. This training allows AI to recognize patterns, comprehend context, and execute various tasks, from translation to image recognition.
Nevertheless, AI’s dependence on historical human knowledge means it also adopts the biases, inaccuracies, and limitations embedded in that data. To address these shortcomings and create more advanced AI, researchers are continually refining algorithms, improving training data, and introducing new methodologies.
Q. What are your thoughts on the future workforce?
We have greater awareness than ever in human history. The future workforce will emphasize flexibility, work-life balance, and personal development. The rise of remote work and gig economy roles will create a more diverse, adaptable, and skill-centric labor pool. To attract and keep talent amid this changing environment, companies will need to revise their policies and culture.
Q. Automation has significantly decreased the likelihood of risk. What will be the outcome?
Risk reduction comes from streamlining processes and lessening human error. For example, in the insurance sector, it can boost underwriting precision, enhance claims processing, and improve fraud detection. These improvements can lead to cost savings, better customer engagement, and more customized insurance products, ultimately benefiting both insurers and policyholders.
Q. What does the future hold for banks in a more digital world?
In the rapidly changing digital environment, banks must evolve by adopting new technologies, improving digital customer experiences, and providing innovative financial products. Partnerships with fintech companies and investing in cybersecurity will be essential. By prioritizing personalization, convenience, and security, banks can remain relevant and competitive in the shifting financial landscape.
Technological advancements are causing significant transformations. What impacts do you anticipate in:
1. Ecommerce
In ecommerce, technological advancements will lead to improved personalization, smoother shopping experiences, and greater utilization of AI-powered tools. Features like voice and visual search, augmented reality, and drone deliveries will enhance customer convenience, while data analytics and automation will boost supply chain efficiency and inventory control.
2. Transport
In the transportation sector, technological innovations will introduce autonomous vehicles, electrification, and enhanced connectivity. This evolution will result in lower emissions, increased safety, and more effective traffic management. Furthermore, integrating IoT and AI will foster smart infrastructure and real-time data exchange, changing the way we travel and commute.
3. Healthcare
In healthcare, technological progress will facilitate personalized medicine, a greater emphasis on telehealth, and AI-driven mobile diagnostics. Advanced medical devices, wearable tech, and genomics will aid prevention and treatment efforts, while big data analytics will improve research and decision-making processes. This shift will result in more accessible, efficient, and customized health services, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.
Q. As AI and automation make human involvement unnecessary in numerous areas, can they ever grasp the subtleties of human emotions?
While AI and automation are growing increasingly advanced, fully understanding the depths and subtleties of human emotions remains a significant challenge. AI can analyze and detect emotions to a degree, but replicating the intricacies and empathy of human emotional intelligence is still beyond what it can currently achieve. Human insight, intuition, and empathy will continue to hold value in various fields.
Q. Are emotional intelligence and empathy skills that will remain irreplaceable?
Generally speaking, emotional intelligence and empathy will likely be difficult to replace, though they are not the only essential skills.
When we consider designing machines to take over human roles, we often overlook the immense complexity of human beings. We possess a desire to compete, a need to belong, a sense of purpose, and we long for attention, love, significance, and human connection.
The crucial point is that when it comes to AI and automation, market demand will dictate outcomes, and consumer behavior is not always rational. As humans, we remain the consumers, and often the value of the experience far surpasses the illogical nature of the decisions being made. In essence, we operate in a human-centric economy, where logic does not always prevail.
This leads us to the unpredictability of human nature.
Will a robot’s smile ever provide the same comfort as a mother’s smile? If a robot tells you that you are beautiful, will it ever hold the same significance as when your partner expresses it?
It’s easy to compile a list of the so-called lesser traits that people have. Unlike humans, robots don’t sweat, complain, need breaks, feel anger, or make errors. We typically do not design machines with the intention of making them cruel, unsympathetic, or lacking in emotional depth.
Nonetheless, humans possess numerous positive traits that counterbalance the negative ones. We are capable of being friendly, supportive, charming, compassionate, adventurous, brave, empathetic, motivating, daring, intelligent, resourceful, kind, courteous, modest, and forgiving.
AI, robots, and automation are unlikely to fully replace humans, but they can significantly enhance our effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity unlike anything seen in human history before.
It is anticipated that by 2025, robots and artificial intelligence (AI) will become deeply integrated into our everyday lives. This could have major consequences for various business sectors, particularly in healthcare, customer service, and logistics. Currently, AI is playing a vital role in breakthroughs in medical research and climate studies, as well as advancements in self-driving vehicles.
Will robots take over human jobs?
Opinions on this issue appear to be split. A Pew Research survey indicated that nearly half (48%) of the experts consulted believe that robots and digital agents will displace a considerable number of both blue- and white-collar jobs. They are worried this will exacerbate income inequality and lead to a significant number of people becoming virtually unemployable. In contrast, the other half (52%) anticipates that robotics and AI will generate more employment opportunities than they eliminate. This latter group trusts human ingenuity to innovate new jobs, industries, and methods of earning a living—similar to what occurred at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Notably, both factions in the Pew study expressed concern that our educational systems are not sufficiently preparing individuals for the future job market.
Leading expert Martina Mara, a professor of robopsychology at Johannes Kepler University Linz, proposes that we should consider a different inquiry: What do we envision the future of work to be? How should robots transform our lives? She emphasizes that robots are created by humans. Although robots can operate continuously, they lack the ability to generalize or contextualize. They do not possess soft skills.
They are literally designed to carry out specific and well-defined tasks. This presents an excellent opportunity for humans—we can hand over mundane, repetitive jobs and take on those that require critical thinking and problem-solving guided by human intuition.
While AI is advancing and technology’s role is growing, it will largely support and enhance most jobs rather than replace them. A study involving 1,500 companies found that the greatest improvements in performance arose when humans collaborated with machines. Humans perform three essential functions: they teach machines what to do, clarify outcomes—particularly when those outcomes are nonintuitive or contentious—and ensure the responsible use of machines. Robots depend on us as much as we depend on them.
Robots are employed to handle physically demanding tasks, quite literally. In manufacturing, cobots—context-aware robots—carry out repetitive duties that involve heavy lifting, while their human teammates perform complementary tasks that call for greater dexterity and judgment.
Whether you’re in favor of robots or against them, you might not have a say in the matter. While a Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons may still be a distant reality, we already have robots that can vacuum our floors, and AI has been utilized in the customer service sector for years.
We must start considering how we can enhance technology-related skills while also fostering humanly distinct abilities. Creativity, intuition, initiative, and critical thinking are human skills that robots are unlikely to replicate—at least not in the near future. We should already be contemplating how both employers and employees can leverage robots to enhance our work.
If it hasn’t happened already, it won’t be long before your next co-worker is a robot.
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