Braver, newer world
A book from the family bookshelf I remember rummaging through as a teenager was Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. All I remember about the book 60 or so years after is the focus on a futuristic society that uses science to control people.
That’s why ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence app, initially made me feel suspicious with a tinge of worry. ChatGPT is threatening to change our lives, even potentially replacing us in our jobs because it is more efficient, more reliable, and cheaper. Tom Friedman wrote in the New York Times, after he witnessed a demonstration of GPT-4, the most advanced version of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, that from now on this is “how you create, how you compete, how you collaborate, how you work, how you learn, how you govern and, yes, how you cheat, commit crimes and fight wars.”
Right now, it is just fun to experiment with. But our BPO clients will realize that with AI, they don’t need us anymore. And there goes a leg of our economy that earns upwards of $30 billion a year and employs some 1.3 million. What other jobs will be lost with this new technology? One of the economists in our Viber group asked ChatGPT that question and here is the reply:
It is difficult to predict which specific jobs will be replaced by AI as it depends on various factors, such as the rate of technological advancement, the cost-effectiveness of using AI, and the complexity of the tasks involved in the job. However, here are some jobs that are currently at risk of being replaced by AI:
Data entry clerks: AI can easily automate the process of entering data, reducing the need for human clerks.
Receptionists: AI-powered chatbots can handle simple queries and bookings, reducing the need for human receptionists.
Telemarketers: AI-powered chatbots can make sales calls and follow-up with leads, reducing the need for human telemarketers.
Bank tellers: AI-powered ATMs can handle most banking transactions, reducing the need for human tellers.
Customer service representatives: AI-powered chatbots can handle basic customer queries, reducing the need for human representatives.
Insurance underwriters: AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify risk factors, reducing the need for human underwriters.
Accountants: AI can automate accounting processes such as bookkeeping, reducing the need for human accountants.
Travel agents: AI-powered chatbots can help customers plan their trips, reducing the need for human travel agents.
Truck drivers: Self-driving trucks powered by AI can deliver goods without the need for human drivers.
Farmers: AI-powered drones and robots can be used for precision farming, reducing the need for human labor.
Fast food workers: AI-powered robots can take orders, cook food, and serve customers, reducing the need for human workers.
Assembly line workers: AI-powered robots can assemble products without the need for human labor.
Textile workers: AI-powered machines can weave and sew fabrics without the need for human workers.
Construction workers: AI-powered robots can perform construction tasks, such as bricklaying and painting, reducing the need for human labor.
Security guards: AI-powered cameras and sensors can detect intruders and alert authorities, reducing the need for human guards.
Cleaners: AI-powered robots can clean floors and surfaces, reducing the need for human cleaners.
Librarians: AI-powered search engines can help users find books and information, reducing the need for human librarians.
Stock traders: AI can analyze market trends and make trades, reducing the need for human traders.
Journalists: AI can write news articles based on data and trends, reducing the need for human journalists.
Translators: AI-powered translation software can translate languages, reducing the need for human translators.
Law clerks: AI can analyze legal documents and research precedents, reducing the need for human clerks.
Radiologists: AI-powered machines can analyze medical images, reducing the need for human radiologists.
Surgeons: AI-powered robots can assist with surgeries, reducing the need for human surgeons.
Pilots: Self-flying planes powered by AI can fly without the need for human pilots.
Weather forecasters: AI can analyze weather patterns and make predictions, reducing the need for human forecasters.
Human resources managers: AI can analyze resumes and conduct initial interviews, reducing the need for human managers.
Real estate agents: AI-powered software can analyze real estate data and assist with property searches, reducing the need for human agents.
Financial analysts: AI can analyze financial data and make investment recommendations, reducing the need for human analysts.
Cashiers: AI-powered checkout systems can handle transactions without the need for human cashiers.
Wow! Am I glad I am retired! Educating the next generations for jobs that will co-exist with AI will be the next big challenge for colleges and universities.
From a reader’s letter to the Washington Post, here is how ChatGPT responded to the question of AI replacing humans in jobs.
“As AI becomes more sophisticated, it could perform certain tasks more efficiently and accurately than humans, leading to job displacement. However, it’s important to note that not all jobs can be easily automated, and some will require human skills, such as creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. Therefore, it’s crucial for individuals to adapt and acquire new skills to remain relevant in the job market.
“Governments and businesses also have a responsibility to support workers through education and training programs, as well as policies that promote job creation and economic growth.”
My eldest sister, a retired physician in the US, thinks AI will be a big help for medicine. Most active physicians can only set aside so many hours each month to read medical literature. AI or IBM’s Watson can analyze the equivalent of thousands of textbooks and medical journals every second, review a patient’s electronic medical record, then offer a list of suggestions with a confidence level assigned to each. AI is not a threat, but could be a big help for the attending physician.
From the patient’s perspective, AI, Watson or GPT-4 can help make informed treatment decisions and protect him from needless or harmful treatment. Since the practice of medicine is as much an art that depends on intuition as it is a science, maybe that makes the job of most doctors safe. So, the braver and newer world of AI can’t be that bad.