The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) evokes all sorts of emotions. On one end of the spectrum, it’s the way of the future, the route to progress that will create jobs, advance medical research, and revolutionize our lives. On the other hand, it will usher in Armageddon, and people will lose their jobs, our privacy will be jeopardized, and computerized applications will be able to outthink us, resulting in robotic life that will threaten human existence. Imagine that. Diametrically opposed views concerning a significant issue with sharply contrasting conclusions. What’s next? The politician is Hitler, no, he’s the messiah. One party wants to deprive you of healthcare; the other wants to deprive you of choice. Illegal aliens are lawbreakers. Illegal aliens don’t exist. Yep, many divergent views.
In the case of AI, views range from overestimating to underestimating its effect on us. Some perspective is needed.
What is AI? Well, if you ask ChatGPT—that’s AI-enabled—you will discover that AI is a field of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. Among them are:
- Understanding language (like chatting with you),
- Recognizing images and sounds,
- Learning from data and improving over time,
- Making decisions or recommendations, and
- Solving problems and reasoning.
That doesn’t sound like Armageddon to me. It sounds like what we should expect with advanced technology. Yet the worry—and it’s a legitimate one—is that some jobs Americans do today will evaporate as AI takes over tasks humans have heretofore performed. Indeed, AI will be primarily task-focused, and many manual tasks that can be accomplished by robotics or autonomous systems will likely replace humans on assembly lines, in shipping houses, and in fast-food service. By the way, many of us warned of the latter, even as liberals were rushing to hike wage rates for entry-level jobs. They ensured job replacement by robotics, resulting in human-induced obsolescence. “Will you have fires with that idea?”
Meanwhile, let’s take a breath and consider AI’s role today in the context of past technological advances. Buggy whip manufacturers had to find new work when automobiles came on the scene. So too blacksmiths, and carriage-makers. Switchboard operators had to find new jobs as rotary phones spread to millions of homes. Radio shows had to migrate to television as that invention became a routine fixture in living rooms across America. And cellphones obviated the need for landlines, creating an industry that replaced many people who had formerly been engaged in laying copper wire across the fruited plains. Today, many of these folks build cell towers or work for companies that launch satellites into orbit to send and receive signals from a host of handheld devices, including AI-enabled glasses.
Believe it or not, that’s called progress. And people met the challenges. Yep, things change, and we need to change, too.
AI will do many tasks that people have done. Therefore, job-seekers will need to find a place in the job market that is infused with AI and related technologies.
However, here are a few things that AI will not replace:
- Healthcare Professionals: Roles like doctors and nurses require empathy and human interaction. And while AI will help in medical diagnosis and operative procedures, there will also be a doctor or a nurse nearby.
- Creative Fields: You can be assured that we will continue to have artists, writers (Yea!), and designers who rely on creativity and emotional expression.
- Skilled Trades: Electricians, plumbers, and construction workers will continue to be needed to perform tasks that require physical dexterity and problem-solving. Again, AI will be a task tool, but it’s unlikely it will replace the siding on your house or paint your child’s bedroom.
- Education: Teachers and educators will continue to provide personalized multisensory learning experiences that AI cannot replicate. To be sure, AI will have a role, but one that teachers use to improve education.
- Service and Personal Care: Jobs in personal care and customer service rely on human connection and emotional intelligence. However, if the liberal busybody do-gooders insist on hiking the minimum wage, a robot may be the one directing you to “Aisle 5” or stocking shoes on a conveyor belt with each pair sold.
Are there legitimate concerns about AI in the oft-cited fear that it will be able to think on its own and prevent humans from controlling it? Yes. However, it’s essential to understand that we are not yet at a point with AI-enabled systems that have cognitive or subjective capabilities surpassing those of humans.
That is actually a big leap. And that’s good. Because now is the time to develop the protocols that guard against “killer robots.” In the meantime, do encourage your children to think long and hard about their careers. And that may be found in the trades that are irreplaceable.
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