Why is AI and the Future of Work a Concern for People?

Jyoti Dadhich
ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR
5 min readJul 18, 2023
Image Source: Freepik

Introduction

Artificial intelligence has become the reality of the present and future. The aim of AI is problem-solving. However, today, it has become a problem itself for people.

To put it simply, the increased use of AI is disrupting lives and jobs in every sector. Due to this disruption, AI and the future of work have also become a topic of debate among employees and employers alike.

Let us consider an example here. We all know about AI tools such as Chat-GPT and Bard. These today have become a threat to the employment of content writers and marketers across the globe.

This proves that AI can replace human intelligence and efficiency. But is the future of artificial intelligence in the workplace a threat to all?

Let’s have a look!

The Use of AI in the Workplace

Everyone today is concerned about how AI robotics and the workplace of the future can impact their jobs. But, one might wonder, why is there a sudden interest in the integration of AI in industries? Why is it being discussed so much?

Well, to begin with, many organizations started using artificial intelligence back in 2019. Since then, employees have started second-guessing their durability in their jobs.

However, the emergence of Generative AI today has caused the most worry. It is efficient and a human-like nonhuman employee. This is causing trouble in the industry as more and more people are scared of losing their job.

For example, the use of AI has also put the job of media influencers and content creators at risk. The reason being AI helps organizations in saving the costs of human employment.

Considering such examples, experts believe that AI might be helpful for companies. However, it is threatening in terms of employment.

To understand more about AI and the future of work, let us compare the pros and cons.

Pros of Using AI in Workspace

As we know, AI provides many prospects for growth. Earlier, complex tasks required advanced skills and superior human intelligence. Today, all thanks to AI, such tasks have become easier.

Some more benefits of AI include:

Complex Problem Solving

Artificial intelligence eases decision-making. The advances in AI technology solve complex tasks with ease. Further, it also helps solve the problem by using large data in little time.

Productivity

Unlike humans, AI offers greater productivity and work. Many organizations use AI to enhance their productivity. Due to this power of automation, many people debate the impact of AI and the future of work.

Efficiency

In contrast to humans, AI handles routine tasks at a faster pace. People are prone to making mistakes. However, AI works 24/7 without making any mistakes.

Consider the example of bank customer service. Led by AI bots, they offer answers to all customer queries throughout the day without any problems!

Risk Mitigation

Deploying AI systems also helps in the analysis of risks. In industries such as Finance, AI systems can survey networks and prevent fraud. The existing job profiles related to risk management might also turn to the use of AI for better results.

Now that we have looked at the sunnier side of using AI let’s move on to its drawbacks.

Cons of Using AI in Workspace

On the one hand, many companies consider AI a gift for humans. On the other hand, many people also fear its implication on their jobs. Even though AI offers better possibilities and scope of utilization, it has some cons.

Here are a few cons and challenges that make AI and the future of work debatable.

Shift in Human Experience

One of the biggest negative impacts of using AI is a complete shift in human experience. Furthermore, AI algorithms can replace human interaction with automation.

AI Bias

As we know, AI runs on algorithms created by humans. This makes it prone to biases. In other words, AI can replicate the biased thoughts of humans, reflected in the response it gives.

AI learns through algorithms, so it is easy to manipulate. By said manipulation, people can use their knowledge to break the workflow of AI. Moreover, this can lead to unintended and unimaginable outcomes.

Loss of Certain Jobs

One of the biggest debates about AI and the future of work is job displacement. Statista surveyed the global impact of AI on jobs. The results showed that 23% of organizations expect AI to cause major challenges in employment.

Additionally, experts also believe that AI would create new jobs by replacing some existing ones.

AI Terrorism and Ethical Concerns

AI and automation also bring up ethical concerns. As AI simplifies automation, it is a potential threat to human society. Presently, many organizations are dealing with threats of data security and hacking. In due time, AI can be abused for cyberattacks and terrorism as well.

Embracing AI and the Future of Work

Despite the many risks of AI jobs in the future, experts believe it can empower lives. According to popular opinion, many existing profiles will have AI jobs future. AI would generate 2.3 million jobs in comparison to eliminating 1.8 million current ones.

Overall, people need to learn more about AI instead of being afraid of it. Learning AI makes them ready for new AI-generated jobs.

Moreover, AI needs human commands and prompts to work. So, learning and adapting is a better way to embrace AI in the workplace.

Conclusion

To sum up, AI aims to simplify human jobs, not eliminate them. The evolution of industries with AI has some challenges. However, the advantages outweigh these challenges.

There is no denying that with the use of AI, many employees will be at risk. But there is always a solution.

Employees now have to upskill themselves to compete with the technology. Additionally, they are also required to learn AI for better opportunities in the future.

Integrating AI in the workplace would impact the work environment and employment opportunities. This impact is both positive and negative. But, it is up to us how we look into this and create opportunities for ourselves. We created the technology, so we cannot be defeated by it.

Visit The Voice of Woman for more tech-related posts like this one.

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