Will AI Replace Our Jobs?
Illustration: Pixabay stock photo
We are living in truly groundbreaking times, even if it might not always feel that way. Artificial Intelligence has reached a level we once only dreamt of and saw in movies. At first glance, many might view AI as just another toy. However, upon deeper reflection, it becomes evident that we are entering an era where AI will not just handle repetitive tasks but will also manage descriptive, summarizing, and analytical tasks. This growing influence of AI will prompt skeptics to begin embracing its potential. One of the AI experts in a roundtable said that we should be very cautious and start slowly when using AI, in my opinion we shouldn’t fear AI, we should be brave and start experimenting with the various AI solution in every possible way.
“It’s not AI that will replace people, but those who use AI will replace those who don’t”.
This sentiment will hold true across all professions all around the world.
Perhaps this shift was necessary to force us using the new toys more efficiently. Yet, we must recognize the double-edged nature of these technologies. We must use AI wisely, the scepticism shouldn’t prohibit us, but we should use our Critical Thinking and challenge the outcomes when we feel differently. If misused, it can become a conduit for misinformation, propaganda, and a means for censorship, manipulation, and control. We have quickly introduced new technologies to the World without fully addressing their ethical and moral ramifications. Maybe this chaotic approach has its purpose: to let human follies determine real limitations. It’s essential to remember,
“Artificial Intelligence will never surpass natural stupidity”.
Ultimately, our concern should not be with AI itself, but with those who use or miss-use it.
Sometimes it is even hard to define precisely what is AI at all? Its nature can appear fluid, much like observing a fish in an aquarium from different angles, from the side it is an elliptical something but if we observe the fish from the front side, we see a thin line with little wings. There isn’t just one AI; there are multiple goal-specific solutions tailored for particular challenges. The term “AI” might be somewhat misleading since we’re essentially attributing “intelligence” to it. Such labelling may detract from addressing genuine questions, dismissing them as overly technical. We often struggle defining ‘intelligence’ as well. Human intelligence is marked by intricate cognitive processes, heightened motivation, and self-awareness. Intelligence typically denotes abstract thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, and adaptability. Unlike human cognition, AI doesn’t possess unpredictability, intuition, or genuine emotions. But what AI lacks the most is humour and empathy. At the end of the day,
“It’s not the ethics of AI we need to reconsider but our own, especially in the context of AI.”
Maybe with AI’s assistance, we could define our essence unambiguously.
Ethical considerations are often based on societal norms, which can vary culturally. Moral dilemmas largely depend on individual perceptions of what is right and what is wrong. Thus, today’s AI reflects its creators’ moral compass and are following their perception of good and evil. How do we discern right from wrong or fairness? From AI’s standpoint, defining “truth” isn’t straightforward since it’s not easily quantifiable. Over-reliance on AI for ethical and moral guidance might breed complacency, weakening our decision-making skills. AI can inadvertently magnify our biases. If we remain vigilant, AI can spotlight the issues that we need to consider ethically and morally. We are increasingly trying to regulate and limit the operation of AI and robots. Such regulations often serve as guidelines rather than rigid rules. AI developers typically provide ethical suggestions instead of binding laws, ensuring flexibility in evolving moral landscapes.
I am not worried about the evolution of Artificial Intelligence, but rather about the erosion of Natural Intelligence…”
In an ever-evolving world, pausing to ponder over right and wrong might be a luxury, presuming there’s a definitive answer, to begin with but can we avoid dealing with such questions today? What if tomorrow it will be too late?
Illustration: AI generated photo of the Author, Achilles Georgiu
Considering all these factors, I am excited that STRT Launchpad program emphasizes projects aiming to harness AI’s potential for value creation. This is the best moment to start new companies, develop new products and services in this field. I personally believe that
“Every idea is worth as much as we can leverage out of it”.
It will be really energising to work with teams who are ready to take their ideas to the next level. I love challenging the ideas and the way how the teams would like to generate value for their clients through services or products specifically when they use or support the usage of AI in new fields.
Being a mentor with focus on AI is much more challenging than any regular mentoring as the value creation might be an outcome of unpredictable events and results might can come from previously unknown sources. My main task is not to tell the teams what to do, but to raise thought provoking questions, surrounding their ideas with mirrors and be a partner to them, a person who they can trust and can rely on during their maze-running, finding the way out of the labyrinth.
Achilles Georgiu
powered by ChatGPT, while AI helped me to enhance the depth and breadth of this blog, all opinions, statements, and final expressions remain my own.
