Will AI Really Take Over in the Future?
Artificial intelligence is one of the most impactful technologies of recent times. While it has been around for some time, it only really become this important in the past decade or so.
Now, you use AI in some form or the other in most aspects of your life. When your streaming service offers you a suggested list of things to watch, AI algorithms are in play.
Similarly, when you use your Spectrum WiFi connection to surf the web, then you’ll see AI-curated ads in front of you.
However, as AI is now being used in everything from manufacturing to even arts, there is a fear that it will become dominant in the future.
Multiple dystopian stories predict that AI will loosen the shackles of its human masters and become the dominant entity.
While these stories are quite hyperbolic, there is a sentiment that AI will affect human employment, agency, and intelligence. But will things really be that bad? Here is a quick look at how AI will impact the world in the coming future.
Carry Out Routine Tasks
AI is already being used in routine tasks like manufacturing, packaging, and automobile assembly. These tasks do not require immediate creativity but do need uniformity. AI is the best way to ensure efficiency and uniformity.
While there are still humans in many of these routine jobs, they are slowly being phased out.
AI-programmed robots are much more efficient and cost-effective for these tasks. Just a few years down the line, we can expect human presence in these tasks to go down significantly.
Work Hand-in-Hand with Humans
The thing is that AI cannot really take over human civilization as dramatically as sci-fi movies portray it. This is because artificial intelligence cannot emote, innovate, or create. Humans have to program these systems within certain parameters to make them work.
In addition, while robots are presently in use in tasks like surgery, they still need human supervision. They cannot respond to completely new and unique situations.
The field of AI uses a human-in-the-loop approach to ensure things go by smoothly. So, whatever the case, AI cannot function without human supervision and intervention.
Decrease Human Agency
There is a common belief that AI will reduce human agency. Traditionalists state that humans are losing basic skills like navigation, calculation, and curation. This is because AI has made these tasks much easier. Therefore, many people don’t even need to learn these skills anymore.
However, AI proponents believe that it is freeing humans of repetitive and routine tasks and knowledge. This can help us dedicate more time to innovation, creativity, and inventions.
Therefore, while AI will reduce human agency in some aspects of life, it will also free up human minds for more productive and inventive tasks.
Make People More Dependent
Another aspect of AI is how people are becoming dependent on it. Think about it. Whenever you need to go somewhere new, you use AI-powered maps. In addition, people rely on AI for numerous tasks in their lives.
This means that they can’t really do these tasks themselves anymore, which can sometimes be detrimental. This dependence can lead to issues, especially if AI networks go down for some reason or the other.
However, the other side of the camp believes that humans should be freed of routine tasks, so that they can be more creative and innovative.
Lead to a Shift in Skillsets
With all these shifts and dependence on AI for certain tasks, human skillsets naturally have to shift. There is an increased emphasis on STEM education, especially in the IT and computer science fields. People need to focus on these sectors, as the future of employment lies here.
Instead of learning skills that AI can easily do, it is better to learn how to program and utilize AI. This shift is already prevalent across the world. In fact, at this point in time, there is a huge market gap for skilled AI programmers and workers. So, people need to move their focus there.
To sum up, while artificial intelligence will not take over the world in Skynet style, it is still all set to be a major part of human lives. Therefore, people need to shift their focus around it, and learn how to utilize this shift for their own good.
