Many people have worries about the rapid evolution of technological innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics or Internet of Things. The anxiety about the influence these technological innovations might have on the future lives of humans consists of a wide spectrum. Some might worry about losing their job to an AI in the future. Others have concerns about the constant data collection by devices and fear that their fate will lie in the hands of a computer. These concerns might feel as something only our generation is dealing with, however nothing could be further from the truth. Each moment in time has their own anxiety about new technological innovations (Financial Times, 2016). It is not in question if these technological innovations will develop to an extent in which these situations are possible. The important question is how humans, businesses, and governments will deal with it.
The leading concern people have is that their job will cease to exist in the future due to AI. In the previous wave of automation, people with jobs in manufacturing have lost their profession to the automation of processes by robots (Forbes 2019). However the major difference between AI and robotics is that robots have the ability to replace physical work done by humans, AI on the other hand, will be able to replace cognitive work done by humans (Harari 2018). Does this mean we should all have concerns about the future of our job? The previous waves of industrial revolutions suggest that with new types of technologies also new business models and new jobs arise. “If you went back in time 20 or 30 years and told someone that they would work as a social media marketer they would have no idea what you were talking about.” (Forbes 2019). A whole new category of jobs will be created, but we have no clue what these jobs will be. We should trust the ability of humankind to evolve with these new types of technologies and apply them in a way that increases the collective value for all people.
References
Financial Times 2016, Technophobia is so last century: fears of robots, AI and drones are not new, Financial Times, viewed 1 october 2020, <https://www-ft-com.eur.idm.oclc.org/content/a9ec6360-cf80-11e5-92a1-c5e23ef99c77>
Forbes 2019, Should We Be Afraid of AI?, Forbes, viewed 1 october 2020,
<https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/10/31/should-we-be-afraid-of-ai/>
Forbes 2019, Is AI A Job Killer Or Job Creator?, Forbes, viewed 2 october 2020,
<https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/11/24/is-ai-a-job-killer-or-job-creator/>
Harari 2018, 21 lessons for the 21st century, viewed 10 september 2020
Great Blog Post! I think its super interesting that people are so afraid of new technologies, even though they bring so many advantages for our species.
Hi Tim,
Interesting article! I personally believe that people tend to stress themselves out about something that is, frankly, inevitable and should not be seen in such a negative light. AI is there to make our own lives a lot easier and pleasant. It will not necessarily replace humans or jobs, but rather act as an additional tool to expand human capabilities. A great example is how originally an AI beat a human at chess. This caused a catalyst of events whereby the creation of centaur chess by Kasparov. This is a type of chess where humans work with an AI as a team and they can correct the choices or moves the AI suggests. A centaur is current championship and beats any other AI. This goes to show that the beauty lies in the combination between humans and AI. Learn to embrace it, not worry or fight it.