“AI is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.

”
-Stephen Hawking
~o~
WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REALLY TAKE YOUR JOB?
Ever since someone during the Stone Age discovered that cutting a stone into a circle made
for a good wheel, humans have been searching for methods to accelerate our productivity
by making tasks quicker and easier. The latest advancement in this sector is Artificial
Intelligence. This is nothing but the simulation of human intelligence through machines
and computer systems. Will this technological wonder shape the workforce into a new idea
entirely? After all, many wonder whether ‘robots’ would snatch our jobs from them, don’t
they? While people quickly imagine an Orwellian-like world where cyborgs sit at desks,
that’s not what artificial intelligence in the workforce is going to look like.
How is the world experiencing this?
According to a report by the World Economics Forum, 85 million jobs will be replaced by
machines with Artificial Intelligence by the year 2025. In fact, this process has already
begun. This is evident in the fact that there are many different autonomous devices used in
many different industries that are quickly replacing humans. To provide an example,
Roombas are devices that automatically clean one’s house using artificial intelligence. As
this technology spreads to the different parts of the world, people will begin to prefer such
technologies over living, breathing house help and many may lose their jobs. This will lead
to economic and financial difficulties for people who depend on such tasks for their needs.
Additionally, in the United States, only 2% of crops are grown entirely by humans. The
rest is aided or entirely done by machinery and artificial intelligence. Since lot of crops are
produced quickly and easily, not many farmers are able to sell their product and lose their
source of income. Many farmers are falling into poverty due to this unemployment. This
blurring of lines between humans and robots may not be as great as it seems right now.
Artificial intelligence is quickly catching up to humans and this may not have the best
outcome in the end.
How is one country affected by this issue? [Japan]
Labour costs rise. The availability of cheap automated artificial intelligence rises. An
employer always looks out for their best interests, and in this case, many Japanese
megacorps are opting to go for automated workers to work in their factories. This is
cheaper, quicker and more efficient for the companies. Japan is a developed country and
has easy access to technology and so it is not unprecedented that they start to charter
towards artificial intelligence instead of humans. However, many researchers are
suggesting that, unlike their Western counterparts, Japanese corporations are trying to
implement a complementary employment policy. This suggests that they will employ
humans alongside artificial intelligence to make the process of production simpler and
quicker. It’s not just the employers though, workers simply do not want to work in poor
conditions anymore. Robots and artificial intelligence do not have this problem since they
cannot comprehend the nature of their surroundings. They don’t take days off, go on strikes
or form unions. They are the model blue-collar workers. Therefore, employers are trying
to compensate for the recession of employees by adding artificial intelligence to their
taskforces and workplaces. Japan is one of the leading countries in the furthering of
artificial intelligence in professional settings.
How does the issue contrast globally and nationally in Japan?
Japanese companies are seeking to use artificial intelligence alongside human help. On the
other hand, many global companies in the West are trying to replace humans altogether.
Japan desires to have artificial intelligence doing only tedious, repetitive tasks and not in
real, creative or leadership positions. Contrastingly, many international companies are
attempting to have artificial intelligence working in all positions and sectors. The advent
of artificial intelligence in professions has not been a replacement but rather a solution for
Japan. This is due to the fact that a large number of workers were quitting their job in times
of massive layoffs and recessions. Since humans don’t want to work, employers are trying
to have artificial intelligence instead. However, most international companies simply do
not want to pay proper living wages to their workers and therefore to make up for these
problems, they are trying to eradicate human workers and instead bring about artificial
intelligence who do not feel or have opinions that can be contested. There is an economic
divide among the people who are losing their jobs to robots. Underprivileged people who
work minimum wage are more likely to lose their jobs than a middle-class person working
a white-collar desk job. This financial disconnect among classes is present even in
countries like the United States in addition to the United Kingdom. In fact, there are larger
problems and divides in these countries when one factors in important points like race and
place of birth.
How does this issue affect the locality?
Maids and other house help are already starting to lose their jobs in upper-class Indian
neighbourhoods as more and more people turn to technology to do these jobs instead. Many
would argue that artificial intelligence would be creating as many jobs as it is taking, but
one must take into consideration that the jobs produced are not at the same magnitude as
the jobs taken. The undereducated and the poor cannot get the jobs that are created in the
world of AI. This unequivocally favours the privileged since they are the only class that
has the access to the education required for the jobs created. One must realise that this
further deepens the economic divide between people in India and isn’t going away anytime
soon.
 How can one fix this problem?
The various governments of each country need to promote the cause of education so more
people can get jobs that are not AI-friendly. This will also improve the quality of life for
uneducated and illiterate people who are currently living difficult lives. However, this is a
long-term solution and may take some time to be put into effect and have a real impact. In
the meantime, on an individual basis, one can try their best to resist the desire to buy the
new Roomba and instead employ a living, breathing human who actually needs the help.
If one has the privilege to employ people, they should try to aid the underprivileged until
they can fend for themselves with the help of real, impactful government schemes.
The Takeaway.
A couple of years ago, the idea of artificial intelligence automating jobs like creative roles
was the stuff of sci-fi. But now, AI is taking up major space in many businesses. This paper
is just the tip of the iceberg. In the next decade, AI will have a stake in virtually every
professional industry. While this may sound alarming, it’s actually long overdue – humans
have just kept hitting snooze. The fact remains that we’re living on a planet that has been
steadily and surely replacing humans with machines for centuries. I personally believe that
this new wave of complete AI focus will end up badly for workers and humanity as a whole.
Previously, I didn’t realise just how dependent we’ve become on machinery, but
researching this topic has completely changed my point of view. We have truly created
what will ultimately destroy us. Until that happens, we should prepare ourselves for a world
where AI will pull the strings in the world’s professional spaces and we will watch.

- Jia Berde, Roll No. 9, Grade 8.