Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Replace Our Jobs?

Machines have replaced human labor for decades. These have traditionally been the dirtiest (vacuum cleaners), dullest (manufacturing robots), and most dangerous (military robots) jobs.¹ Today, however, as part of eight megatrends shaping our current reality, machines are starting to think and behave more and more like humans. As artificial intelligence (AI) develops and disrupts more industries, working professionals are becoming increasingly concerned about its implications for the future of work. According to a recent report from the Stevens Institute of Technology, seven in 10 Americans (71 percent) are concerned that greater adoption of AI will lead to reduced employment opportunities.²

It’s now clear that data-driven decisions can have far-reaching impacts on individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Discover a human-centered approach to deploying machine learning and learn to use AI as a tool for inclusive prosperity with the Making AI Work: Machine Intelligence for Business and Society online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.

Will AI take over jobs?

Research by economists at MIT and Boston University determined that robots could replace as many as two million workers in manufacturing alone by 2025.³ While an estimated 97 million new jobs will be created across 26 countries by 2025, according to a recent World Economic Forum report.⁴

Research shows artificial intelligence is capable of performing several tasks better than humans in specific occupations, but it’s not capable of performing all tasks required for the job. In other words, though jobs will be affected by AI, the subsequent partnership between people and machines will lead to stronger job performance, which benefits people and frees them up to focus on more important, strategic work.

What kind of jobs will AI replace?

The industries most at risk are predicted to be jobs within logistics, cybersecurity, healthcare, enterprise security, research and development, financial services, information security, advertising, e-commerce, cloud computing, manufacturing, public transportation, and media and entertainment.⁵

More specifically, the following common jobs are expected to become redundant by the year 2037, and replaced by automated versions:⁶

1. Customer service executives
2. Bookkeepers and data capturers
3. Receptionists
4. Proofreaders
5. Manufacturing and pharmaceutical workers
6. Retail workers
7. Courier service workers
8. Doctors
9. Soldiers
10. Taxi and bus drivers
11. Market research analysts
12. Security guards

What will the AI take-over look like?

Human-AI collaboration is already happening. Introducing AI into the workplace will remove humans from repetitive and dangerous tasks (for instance those such as data entry and assembly line manufacturing), and will change the nature of work, enabling workers to focus on the higher-value and higher-touch tasks that require interpersonal interactions.⁷ Humans have certain characteristics machines cannot take on, and vice versa. A simple example relates to causal reasoning. For instance, we know and understand that regular exercise means we will be healthier, or that drinking coffee gives us a boost. Artificial intelligence doesn’t have this ‘skill’. The reverse is also true – while analyzing thousands of gigabytes of data is easy for a machine to do, it’s virtually impossible for a human.⁸

Businesses such as Hailo (a leading supplier of ladder systems, steps, and waste bins), have opened their arms to collaborative robots too.⁹ A cobot is an assistant that works well with humans, unlike traditional robots, which have previously not allowed for proper interaction.¹⁰

Introducing cobots helped save Coty Cosmetics $500 000 a year and improved both the company’s quality inspection processes and the employee work environment.¹¹ Paul Baublitz, project manager at Coty Cosmetics, was provided with the solution by Chris Sydorko, owner of the integration firm Sydorko Automation, who introduced collaborative automation. “They’re lightweight, they’re easy to use, they’re low voltage, and certainly could work together in the same environment as individuals, rather than having twelve different stations with robots at them.”¹²

The emergence of cobots is a fairly new phenomenon and has not infiltrated many industries, mostly due to the price starting out at around $50,000 per machine.¹⁴ However, the benefits of cobots outweigh the benefits of robots working on their own as they’re designed to be safe around human beings.¹⁵ A traditional and industrial robot, designed to perform tasks often referred to as the ‘four Ds’ – dirty, dear (expensive), dangerous, and dull – will often need to be constrained, sometimes in cages to avoid accidents and physical harm to people.¹⁶

However, constricting robots in this way limits their application, making cobots far more effective. Described as “the hardware version of augmented intelligence”, cobots enhance human capabilities rather than replacing humans and taking their jobs. They’re trained differently from traditional robots since they’re not programmed to do specific tasks but are trained through demonstration.¹⁷

Think of cobots in the same way as understanding Tony Stark’s Ironman suit, which he controls through the AI (J.A.R.V.I.S) system of his own making. Stark is in control of the robot, just like humans would be in control of the cobot in their factory, by physically moving it around and ensuring the bot remembers the steps taken, which it will repeat on its own.¹⁸ Therefore, the AI is not taking over jobs but collaborating with the person to enhance performance.

An answer to the question: “will artificial intelligence be responsible for my job?”, is that it’s complicated. There are those who predict certain industries and specific careers have a high chance of becoming fully automated in the future. It was Stephen Hawking who told the BBC in 2014, “development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”¹⁹ On the opposing side are those who are adamant that the most powerful situation is one where robots pair with humans, and neither work as individuals.²⁰

It’s likely that the fourth industrial revolution will favor those with strong digital expertise, as well as creativity and teamwork skills. Machines won’t be able to replicate these capabilities easily. However, people and AI can combine strengths to enhance the future of work.²¹

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