IS AI REALLY GOING TO REPLACE YOU (2021)?

30

November 2021

For a long time, it has been assumed that artificial intelligence will replace human resources in workplaces. This is because the role of artificial intelligence has increased manifold in almost every sector with time.

AI has helped companies and organizations to automate different processes that were processed by humans. It has not only imbued efficiency in the operations but also saved a lot of money for the companies.

Because of this, a lot of people claimed and argued that artificial intelligence is going to replace human beings from the workplaces completely one day or another. Because data is excessively equipping and enabling the companies to get more intelligent. According to studies, the increasing role of AI will add around $15.7 trillion to the global economy in the next 4 years.

There is no doubt that AI has empowered companies enough to replace manpower with intelligent machines. Manufacturing, recruitment, and service delivery are some of the prominent sectors to do so.  This is why some have concluded that by the end of 2040, our today’s workforce will become totally irrelevant.

But, think for a moment, has AI really dismantled the workforce? Hasn’t AI-empowered employees instead of replacing them? These questions are valid only if it is considered that human and artificially intelligent machines are equal – and in reality, they are not. No doubt artificially intelligent machines are fast, more productive, and accurate but they do not have emotions and can not make decisions based on cultural sensitivity.

Under the umbrella of AI, there comes deep learning, machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. It is important to consider that these technologies did not take away the jobs of people but have supported them in automating routine work and other repetitive tasks. It will not be wrong to say that technology, even historically speaking, does not make humans irrelevant but makes mundane and boring tasks obsolete.

This can further be analyzed in the prism of history. Back in the early years of industrialization, the invention of the Cotton gin did not make African Americans irrelevant in the USA. But, the technological invention of the cotton gin enabled the landlords to switch roles and increase the manpower to enhance the productivity of cotton as it was required in Britain.

Similarly, when industrialization took off in the late 18th century in the USA, it did not take the jobs from the people but created different and more productive roles for them.

So it can be said in a way that technology has never stripped employees of their roles. Instead, it has upgraded them by providing different and updated roles. First, machines belittled and eventually ended the physical tasks of the human. Then computers took over the high computational and transactional activities. And now artificial intelligence is assisting mankind by executing cognitive processes that are related to decision making.

Moreover, automation with the help of Artificial Intelligence also increases the overall productivity of humans. Because when routine tasks and daily repetitive work is automated, human resources can focus on additional priority work. As well as other ways to further enhance their skills and increase overall productivity.

For example, in an investment company artificially intelligent bots can fetch and assess the details of the customer. Meanwhile, the agents can pursue customers and convert them into actual clients with their soft skills. In the same way, AI in education is not eliminating teachers from the schools but helping them diversify their skills and educate students in a more diverse way.

In conclusion, it is crystal clear that AI and even other technologies are not a threat to the human workforce. It has only pushed people towards advancement and optimization. 

Yuval Noah Harari said in his book, 21 lessons for the 21st century,  that ‘everybody has to embrace new technologies quickly. At the same time, this does not necessarily be perceived as a peril of technology. But it actually supports humans and enables them to be more productive and updated.’

The applications of AI in fintechhealthcare, and software development are examples of how artificial intelligence is empowering humans. Contact Us Now!

author

Fahad Ali, Author

Fahad is PM at ARFASOFTECH but has a knack for writing. He enjoys writing about the latest technologies and evolving trends. Most of his writings revolve around trending technologies and their integration into operations.

Comments (0)

Leave a comment