Artificial Intelligence

by Amorlianna Antonette Y. Sanchez
Editorial
Originally written on January 6, 2020

Illustration by Sheendee Dutollo

"AI has the potential to forever changing our humanity,"

"AI has the potential to forever changing our humanity," a quote from Neil Nie from his talk entitled “Understanding Artificial Intelligence and Its Future” at TED talk. Take a good look or even just do a mere scan around you and you'll no doubt notice the abundance of technologies that are present around you and is most probably there to make your life just that much easier. You have phones that keep your school reviewers and notifications, laptops that store important files and PowerPoints, a T.V. for our everyday class discussions (unlike just a few years ago), all the way to the AC to keep us cool in the summer and the watch on your wrist that you wear all the time that when you forget it for just a day, it's as if you're constantly lost and confused as to what is happening and have no idea of what's to come next. Now with all of these, you can see just how integral technology has become to us and our everyday lives. Not only does it aid us in such petty inconveniences, like trying to beat boredom and whatnot, but it also helps us when it comes to weather-predicting to speedy news reporting as well a medical concerns and easing economic/political crises (faster and easier communication). Present-day technology is embedded with such complex and advanced algorithms that we are experiencing breakthroughs left and right. Now the burning question in mind is, with all the hype and staggering developments surrounding technology, will artificial intelligence take up most jobs in the near future? And if so, is that good or bad?

Artificial intelligence or, better known as, AI taking over human jobs isn't really far-fetched idea anymore that people used to dream of and is only brought to life in movies. AI taking over human jobs, not only has it begun but it's become quite common too. The Kiosk machines at McDonald's taking your order and payment or the self-borrowing/returning machines of books found at QNL (Qatar National Library) are prime examples; taking up the cashier and librarian jobs, respectively. But as previously mentioned, technology is experiencing breakthroughs consistently and AI is one of the world's technological side's main priorities. Now that humans have had a taste of the lavish lifestyle that is technology, we have become more demanding. Faster this! Faster that! Bigger! Better! Efficient! Even we, ourselves, can't keep up with our own demands whereas AI is a whole other case. Intelligence that is more knowledgeable than us, faster, better, non-stopping. AI needs no rest, unlike humans. It doesn't need nor want recognition, complicated rights, emotional appeal, bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, or any other factors that contribute to the hindrance and restraint humans deal with before working at full capacity if not at all. AI can take up the more dull and redundant jobs such as cashier, ticket booths person, customer service and such. What's more, is that AI has the potential to take up the more hazardous and life-threatening jobs like firefighting and help decrease job mortality rates.

Now with all this information, begs the question, will it take up most jobs in the near future? Well, not exactly per se.

It won't entirely take up jobs but rather change it.

It won't entirely take up jobs but rather change it. A good example would be market researchers using computers and algorithms and AI to determine people's interests and produce trend statistics, leaving market researchers with the more hands-on tasks like the reporting and pitching of products and ideas. AI will deal with the quantitative work that most find infuriating and humans will tackle the qualitative work which most would say is their favorite part, therapeutic even.

With all that in mind, I am all for AI and the industrial development of the economy, more so the world. But do know our limits. There is a con to everything. I believe AI can be a cause to laziness, impatience, lack of human interaction and therefore deteriorating social skills and introvertedness, or even the doom of naturally agricultural countries. What we need is the proper regulation of these advancements and remember that we are still humans and we don't belong in a robotic world. We shouldn't see AI as a threat but rather an extra helping hand, nothing more, nothing less. And the future will surely look just a bit brighter.