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27 JULY 2023
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the capability to revolutionise the job market, but it also presents particular challenges for the jobs of the future. Here are some challenges that arise due to AI:
Automation:
AI technologies, such as machine learning and robotics, have the potential to automate repetitive and routine tasks, leading to job displacement in specific industries.
Jobs that involve manual labour or functions that can be easily automated are particularly at risk.
With the development of AI and the self-learning abilities of technology, the creative industry too is at risk. The future of skilled personnel will be challenged as AI starts taking decisions.
Skills Gap and Job Redefinition:
The widespread adoption of AI technologies requires a workforce with the necessary skills to develop, operate, and maintain these systems. However, there is currently a significant skills gap in AI-related fields.
As AI continues to evolve, job roles may need to be redefined, requiring workers to acquire new skills and adapt to changing demands. What will be the nature of new skills?
According to The Guardian, IBM could cut 7,800 jobs and British Telecom could lay-off 55,000 jobs in next 6 -7 years. All these may be an after effect of AI driven automation.
No one knows so far. It is an ever-evolving and fast-changing scenario never faced by humanity before.
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According to The Guardian, IBM could cut 7,800 jobs and British Telecom could lay-off 55,000 jobs in next 6 -7 years
Ethical and Legal Implications:
The use of AI raises ethical and legal concerns. Privacy, bias, accountability, and transparency become critical when AI systems make decisions that impact individuals or society.
Safeguarding that AI is used responsibly and ethically poses a challenge for organisations and policymakers.
The responsibility for the action will move away from the humans handling the technology to the AI machines.
For example, who will be held responsible for an accident by a driverless car? The machine was making the driving decisions, and no human intervention existed. Will the manufacturer be held accountable or the owner of the vehicle?
Job Polarisation:
AI's impact on the job market can lead to polarisation, with a growing divide between high-skill, high-wage jobs and low-skill, low-wage jobs. AI technologies can replace routine tasks, but complex problem-solving and creative thinking remain valuable skills.
It can create challenges in achieving a balanced job market and income inequality. The job market is going to drastically change. Those jobs which are manual and highly specific to a situation will survive. Like, nursing a sick patient in the hospital, roadside repairing a vehicle breakdown etc.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation:
AI technologies evolve rapidly, and workers must continually update their skills to keep up with the changing landscape.
Enduring learning and the ability to adjust to new technologies and working methods become essential for job security and career advancement.
Most of the remaining jobs will be like interventions. Humans will support the core function of AI-driven robots and services or maintain the physical well-being of the hardware and AI software.
Human-Machine Collaboration:
As AI systems become more advanced, the challenge lies in finding ways for humans and machines to collaborate effectively. It is a challenge which no one can predict today.
Integrating AI into workplaces requires redesigning job roles and workflows to optimise the strengths of both humans and machines, promoting collaboration rather than competition.
There are limitations to which a human can contribute to the abilities of AI.
Hence, the future will see a contest between AI and humans as dependency on each other grows. At a point in time when AI will be independent of human interventions, it would be a dangerous moment.
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Humans will support the core function of AI-driven robots and services or maintain the physical well-being of the hardware and AI software.
Psychological and Social Impact:
Introducing AI technologies can lead to concerns and anxiety among workers about job security and future employability.
Addressing these psychological and social impacts is crucial by providing support, retraining opportunities, and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. Currently, the world is beginning to realise the social implications of AI.
In reality, we cannot determine the impact's scale. The consequences of the social effects are visible in the strike action of the Hollywood writers and movie industry.
AI is estimated to severely impact millions of jobs related to writing for movies and TV shows. This fear of losing everything to AI is leading to mass protests. A similar fear is already prevailing in all industry sectors.
Impact on Specific Industries:
Specific industries are more vulnerable to disruption by AI. For example, transportation and logistics may face challenges due to the development of autonomous vehicles, while AI-powered chatbots may replace customer service and support roles.
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AI is estimated to severely impact millions of jobs related to writing for movies and TV shows.
Adapting to these changes and finding alternative employment opportunities can be challenging for workers in these industries.
A long list of industries and jobs are on the cusp of extinction. Like writers, music composers, software developers, call centre agents, publishers, apparel designers, photo and video editors, financial market traders, analysts, and many others.
According to OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the most affected jobs will be in the highly skilled professions like medicine, law and finance.
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A long list of industries and jobs are on the cusp of extinction.
Economic and Societal Impact:
The widespread adoption of AI can have significant economic and societal consequences. It may lead to changes in the distribution of wealth, increased income inequality, and shifts in the structure of the job market.
Policymakers and organisations need to anticipate and mitigate these potential impacts to ensure a fair and inclusive future of work.
The future challenges for policymakers will be about creating a balance between human jobs and productivity gains due to AI.
Similar challenges were faced earlier with the advent of computerised systems in various industry sectors. But the difference between then and now is the nature of computerised systems.
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The future challenges for policymakers will be about creating a balance between human jobs and productivity gains due to AI.
Earlier, computerised systems supported human systems and required human intervention. With AI, the computerised systems will be as independent as the humans, with abilities to compute that will be million times faster.
Very troubling times lie ahead!
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