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The days when we used to watch robotics and Artificial Intelligence in just movies like The Matrix, Iron Man, and Transformers are long gone. Now, AI has become a major part of almost all of the industries and is widespread among all of their aspects. It has undoubtedly changed our life as well as the business world because of its ability to make everything less complicated. So, for the very same reason, there are concerns and fact-based predictions flying around about how automated machines and robots will take over human-centric jobs and replace themselves on the tasks that were once carried out manually.
Now that AI has officially become a thing among significant industries and business organizations, it has left us, humans, fearing the constant threat of our jobs being replaced by robots. It has started to automate simple daily tasks to help enhance our life, making it both a boon as well as a bane for us. And it is not like certain economic aspects will stay wary of machines and AI; businesses, schools and colleges, automobile, retail, and other areas will all face its rather inevitable wrath.
It has become impossible for companies not to adapt to technology and its recent advancements because if they don’t, chances are, they probably might get kicked out of the economy. AI has certainly made it easier for them to perform both physical and mental tasks by collecting and recording the data that is fed to computers. But that still doesn’t change the fact that it has become a part of most human activities.
Let us first understand the meaning of artificial intelligence.
What Is Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, more popularly known by its acronym AI, can be referred to as a field of computers and technology that has the ability to carry out and mimic humans and human duties without the use of actual humans. It can imitate human brains with the help of the information fed to it through the use of digital tools like computers and other machines. It is a vast sea of virtual reality everyone wants to take a dip in.
AI has intervened itself in organizational activities through its ability to record and collect real-time information at godspeed and derives at fact-based decisions way faster than humans. It learns and grasps information much quicker with the help of its constantly developing tools and techniques.
It is both good and bad for the economy since it provides companies a roadmap to growth and development. On the other hand, it also risks jobs since it produces ideas that usually involve more machines and less of humans.
How AI Affects Employment As A Whole
Given below are a few employment areas and aspects which are and will be primarily affected through the involvement of artificial intelligence-
Mundane Tasks Will Be Handled By AI
Specific tasks that are basic and followed every day are now easily automated and run by through AI and automation tools. Organizational duties like attendance recording and management, work reporting, etc., which were once done by manual HR employees, are now being handled by human resource management software. Humans are also being replaced in the operation industry by robots and machines that can easily lift, weigh, and put produced goods in cabinets stock-wise.
In simple terms, they are making minor but crucial roles that used to be performed by humans less-important and are putting them out of business (literally).
eCommerce Industry Will Get Affected
The retail industry is the most promising of them all in terms of jobs and recruitment because it is probably the only industry that will bring the best profits even at the time of crisis. A great example of it is Amazon and other online companies soaring and bringing in significant revenues during the time of the COVID-19 virus. Because of the very same reason, it has become a necessity for retail eCommerce company owners to accept automation.
Digital transformation in the online organizational industry was also an inevitable step to take. Machines keeping files of filled and empty stock, robots carrying and storing goods at their assigned places, computers taking orders and sending them to the asset department for getting it packed and shipped, etc., are all already being used vastly by giants like Amazon. In fact, Amazon will also soon start same-say deliveries through drones. This puts delivery guys’ jobs at risk. Apart from that, the importance of brick and mortar stores will also reduce.
Automatic Vehicles: Driver Jobs Are At Risk
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Just like AI has taken over almost all the industries that contribute to the economy, it has intervened in the transportation industry as well. On the one hand, India welcomed major automobile giants like MG, Kia, Citroen, etc. While on the other hand, Elon Musk introduced autonomous self-driven cars under Tesla’s name and production in countries outside India.
Even though it might take more than a few years for Indians to adapt and get used to auto-pilot cars, other countries have already started to get used to them. Automatic cars are safe to rely on and efficiently organized. But, these benefits are what pose a threat to people who drive for a living. The increasing demand for these self-driven cars will decrease their need and will also see an increase in the number of skill sets required to become a professional driver.
Money Handling Services From Manual To Virtual
Back in the day, companies hired manual professionals to perform and process their payroll. Now, all of it is covered by modern accounting processes and AI. All of the aspects that are even remotely related to finances like data collection, processing salaries, deducting and keeping a check on government-imposed taxes, making money-related decisions to increase revenue based on past data, etc., will be overlooked entirely by AI. This will lead to fair pay distribution, elimination of biases, and improvements in decision-making related to monetary issues.
This, however, is a danger for people who are hired just for handling finances. Because machines are faster than humans, it will have adverse effects on them job-wise. Businesses might not have enough use for them now that they have the option of AI. The speed with which it is developing and spreading, it couldn’t be more obvious as to how fast it will have workers unemployed. It will have the same outcome on both high and low-wage earners.
Legal Professions Will Be Targeted
Not only business organizations but professions are also being targeted by AI. Professions like lawyers, paralegals, etc., that strongly require human presence will severely face technology’s wrath. A significant part of handling legalities that include looking for information, collecting and extracting data, comparing it with past knowledge, defining it as essential or otherwise, breaking down data and classifying it, and other document handling services are all being managed by technology.
In short, most of the tasks consisting of a legal professional are now successfully being managed by AI, which is a threat to them. The results of these aren’t good or bad because it is somehow a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Chatbots Will Take Over
Probably one of the most typical and common trends, chatbots are a lot in use and demand. Chatbots are a huge part of AI and digital transformation. They are these virtual robots that companies have on their websites and applications. They are there to answer customers’ queries and assist them whenever they need it. Back in the day, this system was managed manually, wherein organizations used to train their employees to handle customer queries, answer their questions, and provide every solution possible. Now, all of this is dealt with by chatbots via texts and calls.
Enterprises are giving all these tasks to AI because it collects all the required information to answer queries faster than normal humans. It is also safe to depend on the data it contains because it is real-time; hence it will be accurate. Plus, feeding one machine with information is way cheaper than training ten employees about the same. All of this minimizes the need and use of humans as little as possible, making the after-sale services department more modern and less traditional.
AI Can’t Survive Without Humans
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Along with the banes that it brings to humans and our employment opportunities, AI can also be counted as a blessing to us. It will get rid of all repetitive tasks we do every day since it will do it without any involvement of humans. This saves our time a great deal and allows us to focus on more critical and crucial tasks at hand.
As much as AI might have spread itself among industries and professions, it will be impossible for it to eliminate us from the workforce entirely. No matter how successful a company or a career might be, it is impossible for them to survive without human force and touch.
Not only will automation perform our mundane tasks for us, but it will also simplify certain difficult ones and provide fact-based and reliable solutions based on the past information fed to it. It will lend a hand in the tasks that require creative idea generation and provide insights.
New changes and advancements in technology would require experts to study and operate it. This means that automation will open new doors opportunity-wise to learn in and about different technological fields. This will create new job opportunities and push us to be creative and stand out from the others.
Keeping all the benefits AI provides to us aside; it is impossible for it to operate independently and requires at least one professional. No matter how automatic a machine or a processor might be, it needs human supervision and attention.
No matter how much AI modifies and changes itself, humans are still needed to operate it. AI and humans go hand in hand, it has become almost impossible for us to survive without technology and stay wary of the digital world, and automation is a part of it.
To End Things
Artificial Intelligence and everything related to automation is rather an inevitable change and is bound to stay here indefinitely. No matter how much we ignore it, it doesn’t change the fact that we won’t require it in the later years. Its demand will only increase, so we might as well just start adapting to it and plan everything keeping the latest technology in mind.
Author Bio
Meet Vara is an experienced Product Marketer at FactoHR, having expertise in creating various ideas for creative writing. He is passionate about researching and exploring blogs and checking out the latest trends and replicating his expertise in crafting exclusive content. His approach and readiness towards writing quality content are exceptional.