Artificial intelligence in the workplace

Is a Rise in A.I. a Death Sentence for Workers?

According to a 2013聽, 47% of US workers are at risk of computerization. The study, conducted by the Oxford Martin Program, surveyed 700 jobs, to determine what 鈥渞ecent technological advances鈥� mean for employment in the near future. 鈥淭he poor performance of labor markets鈥� the study says 鈥渉as intensified the debate about technological unemployment among economists.鈥� While there is ongoing 鈥渄isagreement鈥� regarding the driving forces behind unemployment rates, the study says, a number of scholars have 鈥� pointed at computer controlled equipment as a possible explanation for recent jobless growth.鈥� If that鈥檚 true, what does that mean for the future of jobs within the United States? Is A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) really replacing people?

What is A.I.?

The Oxford study is quite specific regarding its scope of research, when it refers to computerization or A.I. it鈥檚 speaking directly about Machine Learning and Mobile Robotics, and then categorises the 702 鈥渙ccupations based on their susceptibility to computerization.鈥� However, the definition of A.I. is somewhat broader than the scope of research conducted by Oxford University. In a world that has become increasingly connected and technologically savvy, A.I. refers to the 鈥� science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs, according to聽. 鈥淚t is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable.鈥� Therefore, there has been an increasing fear that the growth of this form of intelligence can permanently replace workers, or even whole companies, whose mere existence relies on the use of technology and machines. 鈥淔uturists and science-fiction writers have at times looked forward to machines鈥� workplaces takeover with a kind of giddy excitement,鈥� wrote The Atlantic鈥檚聽 in his piece聽looking at a world where workers have been completely replaced by machines. 鈥淭echnology could exert a slow but continual downward pressure on the value and availability of work – that is, on wages and on the share of prime-age workers with full-time jobs,鈥� he wrote but he also said that it could create a 鈥渘ew normal鈥� where the 鈥渆xpectation鈥� that work is a central part of a person鈥檚 life is likely to significantly dissipate. According to report by聽, on the future of work and the workplace, A.I. will play a pivotal role in the future workplace and will be used as a tool to 鈥渦ndertake tasks of a scale and complexity that were once unimaginable鈥�. People will still have jobs in the near future but the structure of these positions will change dramatically as most of the growth in jobs will occur in freelance high-value work.

A.I and future industries

Recently Google DeepMind, a technological collaboration between the search giant and DeepMind, has been using data from online news articles to teach computers how to read. The project basically creates an 鈥渁nnotated database鈥� for written language in order for the A.I. to interpret, and more importantly, look 鈥渂eyond the mere occurrence of words and phrases鈥� by looking also at their 鈥済rammatical links and causal relationships鈥�. Teaching technology how to read could have serious implications for key industries, like oil and gas, manufacturing and construction. In fact, technological devices, such as the聽, are already paving the way for a move towards technology-led production. What does this mean for the future of workers? Will they still play a role? The chances are, workers will still play a vital role in the running of a business, but the increasing power and development of A.I. could mean that some jobs will be replaced. According to new research by聽, automation and robotics will cause 鈥渁 significant shift in the UK labour market in the next twenty years鈥� with one-third of existing jobs at risk of being replaced. Despite this number, it doesn鈥檛 suggest that humans will be unconditionally replaced by machines, but it does suggest a change in how we conduct work with the help of A.I.

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