Humans Vs. Robots: Will AI Overtake Workers?

Are robots going to take our jobs? How will automation really affect the global workforce and economy? While I’m asking the questions, there’s a war going on. You just don’t see it or feel it, but it’s just a question of moments. Which war? I’m talking about Humans vs Robots.

We are living in a world where the boundary between “real” and “less than real” realities is becoming increasingly blurred. According to Raymond Kurzweil (a famous futurist, technical director in the field of machine learning at Google) — a technological singularity will come in 2045: people will merge with artificial intelligence, and the world will become a huge computer. Whom do these changes affect first? Let’s see.

Transportation industry

Probably the most prone industry nowadays is the transportation one: the driverless car, the driverless truck, the driverless ship…Just remember the video of the Tesla factory!

Such profession as a driver is the first in the queue for extinction. When drones become a mass phenomenon, there will be no need for a man behind the wheel, and there will be no rudder for new cars.

Banking

The world’s greatest AI for consumers is an ATM. It counts money accurately, it’s available 24/7, never in a bad mood and it gives you almost everything you’d need from a bank. How many bank tellers did those machines replace? A large number.

Garment industry

Probably, all non-intellectual work — such as seamstresses — will fall on robots. It’s easy to program: a thread, a needle, a cloth. If a robot is cheaper than a seamstress work, then many workers will lose their jobs in developing countries. They will have to learn new professions.

Services

There are apps for making restaurant reservations, you can book a hotel room on Booking.com. But robots are gradually taking on more and more tasks. Automated cafes, hotels and fitness clubs. Starbucks places stand-alone kiosks without a barista, cashier and manager.

Chances are very high for waiters to lose their job. So, the process has already begun: in China, robots not only serve food to visitors at some cafes, but also help in cooking.

To sum up

Anyway, we don’t need to be illogically afraid of progress. As a result of automation, someone, of course, will lose work, but the quality of service will grow and new professions will appear. Robots will take responsibility for the routine work, and, as Jack Ma recently said: “People will always surpass machines because people possess wisdom.”