Although no one understands what the effect of artificial intelligence on work will be, we can all agree on one thing: it is disruptive. So far, many have cast this disruption in a negative light and projected a future where robots take over the responsibilities of human workers.
That’s one way to look at it. Another is that automation can create more jobs than it replaces. By experimenting with new tools for entrepreneurs, it may also generate new business avenues that we cannot imagine right now.
Gartner predicts that by 2025, AI will create more jobs than it displaces. In addition to generating new roles, AI will also help people do their jobs better. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Accenture’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Paul Daugherty, summarized this concept as “Human Plus Machine equals superpowers.”
For many reasons, the optimistic view is probably the most realistic. But the ability of AI to change jobs is far from predetermined. In 2018, workers were not adequately prepared for their future. The algorithms and data that power AI are also flawed and do not reflect the diverse society they are meant to serve.
How AI Could Nurture Jobs
While AI will undoubtedly displace some jobs, such displacement has occurred long before AI was on the scene. Over the past century, we have seen the death or decline of titles like travel agent, switchboard operator, milkman, elevator operator, and bowling pin setter. Meanwhile, new titles like app developers, social media managers, and data scientists have emerged.
Trainers
Chatbots have recently emerged as a new communication conduit for brands and customers. It is no secret that they have often been stiff and extended inappropriate responses. For example, we might respond: “It’s raining again. Great,” and humans would understand the sarcasm. A machine would not.
Understanding language is one aspect of improving chatbots. Another is empathy. A new wave of startups is injecting emotional intelligence into chatbot-based connections.
Explainers
Trainers bring a human element to AI systems, but “explainers” will bridge the gap between new policies and their social managers. C-suite leaders, for example, will be uncomfortable making judgments based on “Black Box” algorithms. They will need explanations in plain English – delivered by a human – to ease their anxieties.
Legislation is another reason. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into effect this year, involves the “right to explanation.” This means that consumers can question and contest any determination made on an algorithmic basis that affects them.
Such explainers will provide “autopsies” when machines make mistakes. They will also diagnose wrongdoing and help take steps to avoid similar errors in the future.
Empowering Artisans, Businesses, and Industries
Rather than replacing workers, AI can be a tool to help employees work better. A call center agent, for example, can gain instant intelligence on what the caller needs and do their job faster and better. This also applies to businesses and industry. In another example, in life sciences, Accenture is using deep learning and neural systems to help companies bring treatments to market more quickly.
In addition to helping surviving companies, AI can create new ones. These new businesses involve digital elder care, AI-based agriculture, and AI-based monitoring of sales calls.
By 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) will generate more jobs than it destroys. New roles and new ways of working will emerge. All employees will be affected, some more than others. Two main driving forces will shape how AI truly transforms our way of working: human perspectives and technological inclinations.
