Artificial intelligence and human employment.

Artificial intelligence and human employment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being talked about everywhere these days, but my first introduction to robotic intelligence was through the 2001 Hollywood movie AI. This was the first time to my knowledge that artificial intelligence was introduced. Earlier, the Terminator series in the eighties also made a lot of noise regarding robotic intelligence. Artificial intelligence, or the ability of computers to learn and act on their own, had many concerns expressed by experts soon after its invention. And with the passage of time these concerns were increasing. The potential problems for humans caused by artificial intelligence have been much debated and the debate continues today.

Creating employment opportunities for human beings is a major challenge for policy makers. According to the United Nations Department of Economics and Sociology, there are currently more than 71 million unemployed people in the world and by the year 2050, the world's population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people, of which 6 billion people are of working age. will be Some policymakers argue that new technologies can cause problems in the labor market. And in the coming decade, 80 percent of jobs will be replaced by computers.

I was also against artificial intelligence mainly because of the use of machines instead of humans.

In search of an answer to the question of whether artificial intelligence and machines will really make humans redundant and inefficient, I reached out to Saqib Ahmed, SAP's country manager for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Bahrain, who runs a local hotel. I had arranged a meeting with journalists. When I entered the room, my journalist friend asked Saqib Ahmed what is the reason why foreign companies are leaving Pakistan. I was expecting a disappointing answer. But contrary to expectations, Saqib Ahmed said that Pakistan's difficult time is over. The companies that are going from Pakistan. They may have their own business reasons. At least not for an economic reason.

Turning the conversation, I asked the question that will artificial intelligence make people unemployed?

Saqib Ahmed did not agree with this. He said that history proves that the productivity of the worker has increased with the advent of machines and modern technology. When machines replaced humans in mining, tractors came in agriculture, boats replaced boats and sails with engines, then humans progressed and so did artificial intelligence, 3D printing and robots join the cycle of the economy.

Saqib Ahmed says that there is a misconception about artificial intelligence or AI that it will cause mass unemployment. But the reality is the opposite.

Artificial intelligence will eliminate many existing jobs, but it will also create double the number of jobs that will be eliminated. Currently, the artificial intelligence market is more than 638 billion dollars, which is estimated to reach 3600 billion dollars by the year 2034. Pakistan can get a large share of this market. If he takes immediate action.

Through artificial intelligence, many tasks that used to require people can now be done easily or with a click. Be it short-listing of candidates in job applications or data analysis in production process, AI automatically scans the whole system and gives the answer after asking a question.  Arguing his point, Saqib Ahmed said on the basis of the American census that between 1950 and 2106, only one of the 270 occupations listed in the United States has disappeared. And that is the elevator operator. As soon as I heard this from Saqib Ahmed, my mind went to the changes in the media.

In the past, any newspaper had more scribes, pasters, etc. than journalists. But now these professions are over. The era of writing newspapers by hand is over.  This has increased the number of newspapers. And newspapers had room to increase their editorial staff.

Khayyam Siddiqui is a long time friend of mine and has been related for almost two decades. He is associated with fintech of a major mobile phone company in Islamabad. On coming to Karachi, there was a meeting and discussions started on the use of artificial intelligence. Khayyam said that the use of artificial intelligence is changing the financial industry. Loan approval that was given earlier by humans. Now giving artificial intelligence based software. And the process is completed in a few seconds. Now there are more data analysts than mobile loan approvers.

It is certain that humans are not going to become unemployed or inefficient immediately due to artificial intelligence. But it is certain that a new skill must be learned every few years to keep oneself somehow competent and effective in the rapidly changing job market.

Whether you are an engineer, a doctor, an auditor or a journalist, artificial intelligence can help you in decision making. Instead of treating technology as our enemy, we can move forward by embracing it.

Due to the development of artificial intelligence, the world has entered a new era. This technology plays a revolutionary role in simplifying our day-to-day tasks, solving business problems and offering immediate solutions to complex problems. But along with this development, an important question arises whether artificial intelligence can pose a threat to human jobs.

Artificial intelligence and the changing nature of employment

With the advent of artificial intelligence, the use of automation is increasing in many fields. Machines have replaced workers in factories.

AI chatbots are replacing human representatives in call centers. Similarly, AI systems are being used to assist doctors and lawyers. This means that the nature of traditional jobs is rapidly changing.

Impact on employment opportunities

The negative impact of artificial intelligence on employment will be greater for those with low skills or technical knowledge. Tasks that are repetitive. They can be best executed by AI. On the contrary, many people are at increased risk of losing their jobs.

Artificial intelligence experts believe that this is only one aspect of change. New technology also creates new opportunities. Artificial intelligence is creating new types of jobs in industries. The people with expertise in areas such as computer programmers, data science, monitoring and repairing AI systems.

Such as cyber security are in increasing demand.

 The need for retraining

A key issue is that the rapid development of AI has accelerated the pace of job elimination in some sectors. Due to which it has become very important to train the affected people for new tasks immediately. The solution is for governments and companies to provide opportunities for their employees to learn new skills so that they can cope with changing conditions. The process of reskilling and upskilling has become necessary not only for individuals. It also for the stability of the economy.

An other important point is that artificial intelligence cannot completely eliminate human creativity and expertise. Where human emotion, creativity and decision-making are required.