August 5, 2016
There is an overarching workforce fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will reign supreme, and we’ll all lose our jobs to the machines. Just as with the industrial revolution and the growth of computers that came before AI, changes are constantly occurring in the working world to enhance and streamline the way we work, all for the benefit of future generations.
AI can change the dynamic of a workplace and the roles that people play in a very good way. Some cumbersome tasks, that in the past had to be done by a human, can be automated so that people can adjust their focus to more productive, efficient tasks. Robots have also created new job opportunities in the engineering, research and computing fields. The robots may be able to automate certain tasks but they still will need a team to develop, refine and optimize the code that powers them.
The best approach to AI in the workplace is to have robots and humans work together. Tasks that were done slowly by a person can be sped up with the use of a robot; this helps correct the perception from job elimination to role adjustment. Humans are resilient and will adapt to a partnership with AI just as they have adapted and thrived with the introduction of computers and smartphones.
Explore the new ways that robotics are being used around the world in the IEEE Interactive Impact Map.