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Will you lose your job to machines anytime soon?

Terry Gou, the founder and chairman of the electronics manufacturer Foxconn, announced a plan to purchase 1 million robots over the next three years to replace much of his workforce. He said, robots would take over routine jobs like spraying paint, welding, and basic assembly. According to World Bank reports, automation threatens 69% of jobs in India, and about 77% in China. Now doesn’t this sound alarming? Do you have a role that is easy-to-automate? If you are nodding in agreement, then let me tell you – Artificial Intelligence (and Machines) will most likely take away your job! Seriously, if you still don’t believe me, read what Stephen Hawking wrote a couple of months back. Quoting him

“The automation of factories has already decimated jobs in traditional manufacturing, and the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend this job destruction deep into the middle classes, with only the most caring, creative or supervisory roles remaining.

This in turn will accelerate the already widening economic inequality around the world. The internet and the platforms that it makes possible allow very small groups of individuals to make enormous profits while employing very few people. This is inevitable”

We live in dangerous times, my friend, and there is a strong likelihood that your job is in danger. But then there is underlining good news here! First, you are not alone in history engulfed with this fear. In fact for the last 200 odd years humans have feared that they would lose their job to automation and economists have been reassuring them that they won’t! Economists have been proven correct each time! With every major innovation cycle, the human system has been resilient enough to absorb the effects of the disruptions caused and turn them to its advantage.After all, you have survived the industrial revolution, the great depression, early days of computerization. So why not now?

Figure: Assembly lines of the 1940s and 50s are now almost all entirely robotized

Every time we talk about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning we emphasize on computing solutions that are here to automate tasks. However, we must remember that with every new computing solution there is a certain “smart machine” that needs to get smarter. And history is a witness that for systems to evolve we need humans to interfere. This continuous need for smarter systems is going to present exponentially expanding opportunities for new functions, new roles and new skills. New innovation would need newer capabilities that can transcend traditional roles. This in turn will only open up a completely new work industry and a transformed labor society. And not just innovation. Anything that requires the ‘human’ touch would be difficult to replace – arts, research, economics, politics, administration. Just imagine the problems we are yet to solve: economic disparity, climate change, clean drinking water, deep space voyaging. With machines taking up the bulk of our menial work, the best of our species can now devote more and better time in taking these issues heads-on. Much of our impending problems can soon be addressed, and in that process more jobs would be created! That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Machines 0 – Humans 1

Machines Will Make Us Better Human Beings

A few generations back, disruption in technology brought humans closer to one another. Computers, telephones,aircrafts, trains and infrastructure advancements have achieved just that. However in the last decade, the undisputed fact is that advancing technology has actually got humans closer to “technology” and away from “humans”. In my opinion, the greater reason for this technology disruption is to ensure that all routine and information-intensive tasks are moved away from human labor to create opportunities: opportunities for human-to-human interaction. The conclusion is unremittingly cheerful: Artificial Intelligence does not and cannot share any of the final values stereotypically associated with wisdom and intellectual development in humans — scientific curiosity, concern for others, spiritual enlightenment and contemplation or a need for refined culture. With Artificial Intelligence taking over the mundane tasks, you and I are going to get the opportunity to again interact with each other, rather than with just technology. Well if not you and I, definitely our next generation! In the words of Brian Christian – “To be human is to be ‘a’ human, a specific person with a life history and idiosyncrasy and point of view”. Artificial Intelligence will ensure we are back to being this human – with history to create and points of view to make. Lovely, isn’t it? Now the prospect of this definitely makes me a “Happy Blob”. And I am sure if Stephen Hawking is proven wrong (for once!), he won’t be too disappointed either. What do you think?

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