The debate about whether AI can replace people and their jobs—or, worse, take over human control of the entire globe like in the Terminator film series—is not a new one.
There is little doubt that the 3.5 million cashiers in America will lose their jobs to robots. Just ask the retail employees who have already lost their jobs to robot checkouts. Robots may also replace radiologists because artificial intelligence is posing a serious threat to their field’s ability to diagnose diseases using X-rays and MRIs. Additionally, jobs as diverse as a chef, office clerk, and tractor-trailer operator are beginning to have some of their work taken over by robots.
Will AI replace humans?
The short answer is yes, jobs that will be replaced by robots in future are at risk. It’s already happening in 2023!
We’ve seen robots taking over jobs, and each robot has some kind of AI within to make sure it works and knows what task it’s supposed to be completing.
Will AI lead to a machine-driven Armageddon and permanently displace all humans? Although we can’t foretell the future, it doesn’t seem likely right now. Thus, the answer is no at this time.
According to research by consulting company McKinsey & Company, at least one-third of the duties in around 60% of employment could be automated during the next ten years. The company predicts that up to 30% of current work hours will be automated globally. According to McKinsey, less than 5% of occupations will fully vanish over that time. Here, we look at a few professions that, to the degree that workforce and automation studies can foresee the future, will continue to rely heavily on human-specific abilities and so be mostly robot-resistant.
Low-skill professions in highly controlled and predictable environments, such as fast-food work and heavy-machinery operations, are the most at risk. Significant portions of white-collar industries like paralegal work, accounting, and mortgage origination that need the collection and processing of information are likely to be automated as well. Routine positions are the ones that will disappear, according to Harvard Business School’s Joseph B. Fuller, professor of management practice. He pointed out that jobs that don’t deviate much from a primary goal are the easiest to define in an algorithm and are therefore excellent candidates for automation.
Will AI take over jobs?
In contrast, robot-proof employment typically includes decision-making and problem-solving tasks and calls for multitasking and a flexible mindset. According to a Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce analysis done for The Hechinger Report, they may also need a higher level of education. According to Megan Fasules, an associate professor and research economist at the institute who put together the data, “for the most part, a bachelor’s degree has a better possibility of offering you automation protection.” Therefore, even if my employment involves some automation, having a bachelor’s degree might give me the ability to adjust to changes more quickly.
Everything that AI now does with its equivalents (robots, the internet, chatbots) is coded into the computer, therefore it is unable to think for itself or have a consciousness. This is a true limit to what AI taking over jobs because it is unable to break from predetermined guidelines or formulate an original idea, or to be creative.
You may be saying to yourself, “But machine learning is creative because it can offer you the optimal method to optimize a system or complete a task.”
That’s due to the derivative nature of AI technology and the development in automation. You must offer it a pre-programmed situation because it is unable to think of one on its own.
Jobs that are safe from robots
Given the rapid pace of change, job training must be dynamic rather than static in order to assist people to acquire the skills they need to survive as workplaces and needs change over time.
The analysis was based on information from the O*NET Resource Centre and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2016. Job wages and details are from the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
Aerospace engineers
Aerospace engineers are finding jobs as a result of investment in redesigning aircraft to be quieter and more fuel-efficient. A bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or a closely related science or engineering subject is needed for occupations with a median annual salary of $113,030. Along with many other automation-proof capabilities, workers need to have in-depth technical knowledge, critical thinking ability, and complicated problem-solving skills.
Nurse midwives and nurse practitioners
In addition to needing a master’s degree and a state licence, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives also need to pass a national certification exam. $110,930 is the average annual salary. As Americans age, this job sector is projected to grow a whopping 31 percent in the next decade. This job has a low risk of becoming automated since it demands a special and difficult combination of critical-thinking, social, and adaptability abilities.
High school teachers
For employment in public schools, high school teachers must possess a teaching licence or certification and at least a bachelor’s degree. With some regional variation and a median salary of $59,170, employment in the field is anticipated to increase. Although summer and holiday breaks are a huge plus, this benefit is offset by the fact that teachers sometimes work late into the night and on the weekends to grade papers and plan classes. High school teaching has relatively little automation risk because of how interpersonal it is.
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians
These mechanics inspect and maintain the machinery and vehicles utilized in expanding industries including construction, farming, and rail transportation. Although college education is a plus, employers will recruit people straight out of high school. The major drawback to this employment is that it requires hard, physically demanding work that is frequently dirty, despite having a median salary of $49,440 and requiring (and robot-proof) technical knowledge, problem-solving, and customer service skills.
Line installers and workers
Line workers set up and maintain telecommunications cables and electrical power networks. The profession can be physically taxing and dangerous, and it calls for a high school certificate, technical certification, and on-the-job training. It is still somewhat automation-proof and earns $64,190 per year due to the level of client connection, complex problem-solving, and critical thinking required by the position.
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapists help ill, injured, or disabled persons develop the skills necessary for daily life in places like hospitals and schools. The jobs, which pay an average of $83,200, are in high demand: In the following ten years, employment is expected to increase by 24 percent. This work is unexpected, difficult, and hence robot-proof because it calls for complex reasoning, excellent communication skills, and high-level problem-solving and decision-making ability.
Writers and authors
These jobs, which include those in copywriting, technical writing, book authorship, and other sectors, pay an average yearly salary of $61,820 and typically call for a bachelor’s degree or higher. Even while computer programs are beginning to write basic news pieces, there is very little chance that a robot will write the next book you read or the next commercial you hear.
Special education teachers
From preschool through high school, special education teachers work with pupils who have disabilities and make a median annual salary of $58,980. A bachelor’s degree and a state certification or licence are required for this position. Many special education instructors work all year round, however some may get summer and holiday breaks. The capacity to establish trusting connections with students and coworkers, adapt the curriculum to meet students’ requirements, and evaluate students’ abilities are among the job’s automation-proof capabilities.
AI is helping us live longer
You may have read in the news recently that AI is now capable of detecting cancer and is more accurate than a physician or human at doing so.
Additionally, Google’s artificial intelligence system may be more adept than skilled radiologists at detecting breast cancer. According to some reports, it IS more effective than doctors in detecting cancer.
Consider how it can decrease the frequency of visits to your local physician or hospital, lower the possibility of human mistake for greater assurance, identify the location and stage of cancer in patients, and, with time and machine learning, detect it even more quickly.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, AI can’t provide cures as such; we still need to produce the vaccinations and test them on humans to make sure the cure works, despite the fact that it’s excellent that AI can help spot problems or patterns, like in the case with cancer.
I’m not saying AI won’t be able to find a cure for diseases or viruses, but using the healthcare sector as an example, I don’t see it replacing the need for people any time soon.
AI will likely lead to rapid improvement and development by being able to do simulations of mixed components, coming up with bioengineering hacks, and quicker ways to see if a drug is effective or not, which is all exciting and promising for prolonging human life.
Conclusion – So, will AI replace humans?
Without a doubt, the AI revolution will require numerous sacrifices and adjustments. Some people even speculate that shorter work weeks may result from higher production and efficiency. which, while in theory, makes sense, has a unique set of problems. Specifically: How will compensation and benefits be impacted? And who receives the majority of financial benefits? Companies? Workers? Who is in charge? These questions are still open. Up until now, technology has increased the amount of work, but there will come a time when some AI will reach a point where it actually reverses.
