Valeria Cabello
Professor Cryer
ENG 105 MW 3:05
26 September 2017
HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL NOT DESTROY OUR JOBS
In discussions of advancing technology, one controversial issue has been Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the way that it affects our lives in the workplace. On the one hand, some people argue that AI is a powerful advancement in technology that will make tedious tasks undertaken by low-paid workers much more efficient. On the other hand, many contend that it will only decrease the availability of jobs and increase unemployment. My own view is that we should not have to worry so much about Artificial Intelligence taking away our jobs and instead focus on how it will help produce new ones while giving us time to spend on the things we like to do. In order to be able to understand how AI can bring a positive influence to the workplace we must learn what Artificial Intelligence is and how it works.
Artificial Intelligence is interpreted in several different ways among people. This is because AI is a very broad subject that is used to refer to many different variables depending on how the term is being used. This paper will refer to Artificial Intelligence as the way that computers use algorithms and databases to make inferences and learn from past experiences. As defined by Google Dictionary, an algorithm is “a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.” In other words, algorithms are what drive Artificial Intelligence as they are the foundation of how it works. It is through the use of algorithms that computers are able to learn and process information to make conclusions about whatever they are programmed to work with. This leads to where controversy begins and why some people do not believe Artificial Intelligence should be developed.
There are many concerns that come with AI. One of the most prominent concerns is that Artificial Intelligence will lead to a decrease in the availability of jobs. Others claim that Artificial Intelligence will not only affect the job spectrum but also be a threat to humanity itself. People who are widely recognized, including Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, have argued about the threats that come with AI. When asked if he believed that robots would take over everyone’s jobs in the future, Musk responded, “robots will do everything better than us…AI is a fundamental existential risk for human civilization, and I don't think people fully appreciate that” (qtd. in Domonoske). There are plenty of people who agree with the idea that AI is a threat to humanity. Many fear that there will no longer be a purpose for us as AI robots take over the world. Others fear that these machines could potentially learn how to destroy us.
It is completely understandable why many people fear the power of Artificial Intelligence. Throughout history, technology has always posed some sort of threat to blue-collar workers. We have seen automation anxiety take place in individuals as far back as the late 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution brought in the reign of factories and mass production. For example, around 1890, John Froelich invented the tractor, a machine that would replace human labor with mechanical power. The cost of maintaining a tractor was quite high so farmers who owned small farms hardly made enough money to pay the cost and make a living. As a result they had to go look for new jobs but many of them failed to find any good ones because they did not have the right skills for well-paying jobs. Later, assembly lines were also designed for the same purpose of replacing human labor that could cause errors and imperfection. Today, many industries are integrating Artificial Intelligence into their machines. One example is the creation of driverless cars. Uber is one company that has taken action into using these AI-run cars to drive people around wherever they need to be.
Yes it is true that it seems like Artificial Intelligence will be taking away our jobs as well, but I believe that it will not have such a huge impact and instead will actually create new jobs, just like the rise of tractors led to the high school movement in the early 1900s, which in turn caused more students to get higher education so that they will be able to work in higher-paying jobs. One speaker for a TED talk, David Autor, an American economist and professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gave a speech about how automation like AI will not take away our jobs, and why there are instead an abundance of jobs available. He introduces two fundamental economic principles: the O-Ring principle, which has to do with human genius, and the never-get-enough principle, which is based on human greed (Autor 00:02:14 – 00:09:10). Throughout the talk, Autor explains how because of these two principles, there will always be new work to do. As new inventions come about, some jobs are replaced by new ones that are created to complement with the inventions. Take the driverless cars for example. Although the car is able to use algorithms to make inferences and drive on its own, we still need a human to supervise it and make sure to take control of the car if anything were to go wrong.
Advances in Artificial Intelligence allow computers to replace workers who are doing routine, time-consuming jobs. In turn, this “[amplifies] the comparative advantage of workers in supplying problem-solving skills, adaptability, and creativity” (Patil). Artificial Intelligence is allowing such skills to become much more valuable in the work force. Because AI will be replacing many jobs that only require a high school degree, it is highly likely that there will be an increase in students who will pursue a higher education so as not to end up working at wages that do not earn them a living at all. The cost of education should not become a problem because the new jobs will make it necessary for students to obtain a degree or certain qualifications, so it is probable that there will be more financial assistance for this in the future. There are actually already a couple of programs that advocate the value of coding and support people to learn how to work with computers. For example, former President Barack Obama initiated a campaign called TechHire back in 2015 which “includes a $100 million grant meant to pave the way for more people into tech jobs, including those who don’t have higher-education certifications” (Dickson). There has also been a rise in free online education that teaches technical skills. Programs such as these have made it easier for anyone to become a tech savvy and develop their technical talent.
Now, if Artificial Intelligence is already taking away jobs for those who do not have anything more than a high school diploma, how will these people be able to find jobs if they are not trained with the necessary skills to work with computers? Dickson claims that “AI is already promising to revolutionize education in many ways, including personalizing and optimizing the learning experience.” People will be able to learn new skills a whole lot faster now than ever before because Artificial Intelligence will “break down the complexity of tasks and make them simpler” (Dickson). One example of a program that uses AI is an educational software called ALEKS. It is powered by Artificial Intelligence to map the details of each student’s knowledge. It uses this knowledge “to make learning more efficient and effective by continuously offering the student a selection of only the topics she is ready to learn right now” (“Overview of ALEKS”). I am currently taking a math class in which we use this software to learn throughout the course and agree that it definitely helps me understand what I need to work on all while allowing me to skip over topics that I already know. This makes learning much more efficient because I am able to go at my own pace. With software programs like this, Artificial Intelligence allows people to learn faster and be able to earn the right qualifications needed to work in the programming industry that is quickly taking over.
For those who are not interested or skilled in the areas of technology, there are still hundreds of jobs that have a very slim chance of being taken over by AI robots. Human-to-human interaction is an integral part of communication that can never be replaced by a computer. It is especially necessary when it comes to job occupations in health care, social work, cosmetology, athletic training, and a whole lot more. When it comes to automation, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation found that “employment in ‘high-risk’ occupations will increase 2 percent by 2024 while employment in ‘low-risk’ occupations will increase 10 percent by 2024” (Atkinson). This means that there are plenty of jobs that will still be available even when Artificial Intelligence is implemented into more of our day-to-day life.
In conclusion, computers integrated with Artificial Intelligence may replace some of the jobs in the workforce, but with the rise of this advanced technology there will also be a rise of new jobs. Simply put, in the words of David Autor, “As automation frees our time, increases the scope of what is possible, we invent new products, new ideas, new services, that command our attention, occupy our time and spur consumption.” We are a society driven by creativity, innovation, and insatiability, and together we will always find a way, just like we have been doing so since primeval years. Artificial Intelligence is already here and is growing quickly, so we must not fear it and instead learn how to adapt to it and regulate it as needed.
WORKS CITED
Atkinson, Robert D. “Unfortunately, Technology Will Not Eliminate Many Jobs.” ITIF,
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, 7 Aug. 2017,
www.itif.org/publications/2017/08/07/unfortunately-technology-will-not-eliminate-man
-jobs.
Autor, David. “Will Automation Take Away All Our Jobs?” Online video clip. TED. TED, Sept.
2016. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_autor_why_are_there_still_so_many_jobs.
Dickson, Ben. "Artificial Intelligence Creates New Job Opportunities." PC Magazine, June
2017, pp. 114-122. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=123168590&site=ehost-live.
Domonoske, Camila. “Elon Musk Warns Governors: Artificial Intelligence Poses 'Existential
Risk'.” NPR, NPR, 17 July 2017,
www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/17/537686649/elon-musk-warns-governors-rt
Ificial-intelligence-poses-existential-risk.
“Overview of ALEKS.” ALEKS – Assessment and Learning, McGraw-Hill Education,
www.aleks.com/about_aleks/overview#aiwork.
Patil, Hitendra. “Why Anxiety Around Automation Is Absurd.” AccountingWEB,
AccountingWEB, 24 Jan. 2017,
www.accountingweb.com/technology/trends/why-anxiety-around-automation-is-absurd.