Artificial Intelligence, A.I., is often marketed as the stuff of science fiction, Hollywood blockbusters. There are concerns that A.I. technology will rapidly overtake human intelligence and transform us into slaves of a new tech world order. The pervasive fear among traditionalists is that artificial intelligence programs will take over all forms of human activity including work, security, entertainment, and transportation. Already, Google and Tesla are barreling towards self-driving vehicles powered by A.I. technology. The state of New York has approved these vehicles and pending insurance company qualification, they will become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
Luckily, we don’t need to worry about artificial intelligence taking over just yet “ that is still some ways off.
The Effects of Disruptive Technology
Regardless, the rate of change in the tech arena is such that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. If you blink, you may miss the next big tech revolution. A.I. is dramatically reshaping the world as we know it. This is not limited to gameplay or military preparedness “ it’s evolving at a rate of knots in the Fintech arena too. We are seeing complex algorithms sifting through a person’s payment history to determine their eligibility for personal and business loans. This technology is so advanced that it makes the rudimentary bank process look like it’s from the Jurassic era.
The technology is eons ahead of human capability, and can perform a myriad of tasks simultaneously. The software can perform the jobs of multiple individuals instantly. On the plus side, it’s important to embrace this change since we cannot stop it. Job losses are inevitable, but brand-new industries will be created through innovative artificial intelligence.
Are Machines the Best Employees?
The fear and loathing that exists with artificial intelligence is justified to a degree. Many low-skilled workers and unskilled workers will be adversely affected by the changes to come. Canada is one country that is leading the charge with artificial intelligence, and widespread automation in automobile manufacturing, consumer goods production and banking is the norm. People want efficiency, and A.I. certainly provides that.
The costs of maintaining human workers are quickly spiraling out of control, and a traditional’ labour force has already proven ineffectual. Human capital is needed to invest in this technology on the top end, but the manual labor component is bound to suffer as the highly cost efficient and durable A.I. systems are capable of producing far more output per unit than ever before. Machines need to be maintained, but beyond regular maintenance “ there is no A.I. union, no strikes, no demands for higher pay, and no sick leave.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel: Machines are not capable of creative thought. They do not feel, and cannot effectively relate to human beings with any level of depth.
Machines are productive and efficient, but they lack an ability to think outside the box’ as humans do. They are great at what they do, but hopelessly useless at what they don’t do. While it may be possible to train these machines for any eventuality that crops up, that in itself is a serious undertaking. Machines would be ill-suited to entry-level work such as waitressing, bartending, bellhop service, guest relations and the like. They do not understand the human element all that well.
I, Robot presented an interesting perspective on Artificial Intelligence. The movie, staring Will Smith, reflected the dark side of artificial intelligence. It’s entirely possible that robots can be designed to abide by certain laws that would prevent them from acting against society’s interests. If so, it is plausible that they will be able to babysit your children, accompany you on doctor’s visits, and help an old lady cross the road. Machines do not have compassion since they do not have feelings. They may be able to interpret voice inflection, heart rate, tone, and anxiety levels “ but that does not make them living, feeling beings.
Government Is Indispensable in the New Age
The countries leading the charge with A.I. include China and the United States “ the top 2 countries in the world. The world’s major tech companies including Facebook, Google, Alibaba and Microsoft are already dipping their feet into the artificial intelligence pool. Tesla, Google, General Motors and others are considering ways of bringing A.I. vehicles to the market, and they are investing heavily to make this a reality. A caveat is in order: A.I. will disproportionately impact countries with large, unskilled populations. As the big companies adopt this technology, so we will see unemployment levels steadily rising. Government has a part to play in ensuring equity and fairness as we undergo this tech revolution.
