Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Taking our Jobs: Fact or Myth?

There is no doubt about the fact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is going to be the future of technology. In a short time, these technologies have created a big difference in the way businesses are run across the world. CXOs around the world are redefining their strategies that are more focused on the implementation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

The fact that 1965 Artificial Intelligence start-ups have managed to raise $23.7 Billion in venture capital funds goes on to show the magnitude of impact Artificial Intelligence is creating for corporates. With all the potential of creating a better future, the advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is also creating a debate regarding the impact on jobs. This fear of jobs being impacted because of technology is not new.

From the time when the first books were printed in the 1470 and the wood graver’s thought of it as a threat to their jobs to when the first computers came out and a lot of people argued that computers would end up taking their jobs. What really happened was quite the opposite. All new technologies have helped in the creating of jobs; the nature of work, however, changes. Same is going to be the case with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

The job titles will be different, the actual work could be different but AI and ML will only help in creating more jobs rather than eating up the existing jobs. A very simple example of this is that the most in-demand jobs today did not even exist around 10 years back.

Jobs like Social Media Manager, App developer, Cloud specialist, Big Data Analyst all these jobs were not even there before the last decade. Whatever the advancements technology is making or will make in future we would still need humans to handle the technology.

AI and Machine Learning will create a lot of demand for other types of digital work. It may utilize a lot of computing power and advanced mathematics but it will still rely on the data distilled by humans. Autonomous cars may be able to identify road signs and pedestrians but for them to be able to do that they must be trained by showing them a lot of videos (of road signs and pedestrians) that are manually tagged.

An algorithm cannot train itself to be better in solving complex problems, therefore, humans will be required to train algorithms and make sure that the algorithms are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can be very easily deployed to the work that is “repetitive” in nature. Creativity and emotion are two most important human traits and as long as these two are required at the workplace no Artificial-Intelligence and Machine Learning can take our jobs.

New Jobs created because of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning