Many employees nowadays get paid to sit their office and do the same tasks over and over again. Recently, however, employers have been pushing to find ways to outsource that work. Not to countries where the price of labour is low, but to machines. These machines are called worker-bots.
Investors go above and beyond to let these bots become mainstream practice, rather than exception in the workplace. So far this year, they’ve funded the developers of robotic process automation technology for hundreds of millions. This automation technology is then software used to perform tasks previously carried out by humans.
According to research by Crunchbase, more than 600 million dollars have been spent this year into the robotic process automation. The bulk of this went to start-ups and companies in the early growing phase.
The question that immediately comes to mind when reading these figures is: Are all the current employees on their way to becoming obsolete (and thus jobless)? In general, companies implementing robotic process automation technology seem to think not. It is supposed to help their employees focusing on the more important tasks during the day. They can do the things that actually add value.
While there lies truth in those statements, there is at least some reason to worry. Employment trend forecasters predict a widespread loss of jobs coming from this automation movement. Whether this means that people will be fired, is not clear. Where one job disappears, another one will take its place in another form, generally.
It is therefore good to keep in mind what you do each day, and which part of that is bound to be automated away at some point. No need to immediately lay awake at night, but do not close your eyes completely either.

read more:https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/29/bots-replacing-office-workers-drive-big-valuations/

What would it be like, to never have to perform a dull task again? To work only because you love what you do, and not because you desperately need the money? Since mankind started to walk upright, we have had to work. First, we had to hunt, in order to feed ourselves. In the centuries that followed, more and more sophisticated and specialised jobs emerged. The goal of every job, however, was eventually fulfil our needs, and stay alive while doing so.

The recent great improvements of Artificial Intelligence technology might very well change the way we look at work. In some fields, AI can reach superhuman performance levels. Tasks that involve routine and experience, can especially best be executed by AI technology. There are many things we do not have to do ourselves any more, as soon as we start to embrace this powerful tool. Some people might consider that a threat to their jobs. How will they fulfil their needs if machines/technologies start to take over?

Personally, I do not think we are heading for a Matrix-like scenario. We still possess some characteristics that machines do not have, and never will. Us humans are capable of compassion, love and empathy, and we can create new things from scratch. AI needs examples and input to be able to function properly. AI can never teach our kids how they should tie their shoelaces, or how to make friends and how to interact with others. AI can never comfort a grieving person, only the loving words and sweet embrace of a loved one can. And that is exactly where our potential for the future lies. We need to completely redesign the way we look at work, at the world even. Assisted by technology, we will no longer be needed for most of the simple jobs, but only be here for the ‘compassion/creativity’ jobs. We should leverage that heavily, and we should start with that as soon as possible. Teachers will be needed far more in the future, to guide the next generations in this ever changing and complex new era. Creative thinkers will be needed far more to bring joy to the world. And how great would it be to have enough caregivers, so that we can give our elderly and sick the care they actually and desperately need?

It is AI that is going to make our world a better and more loving place. The only thing it needs for that, are those machines of flesh and blood, the ones we call ‘humans’.

read more at:https://www.ted.com/talks/kai_fu_lee_how_ai_can_save_our_humanity/transcript