Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) affecting our jobs? In the last few years, AI has developed so much that there are even programs capable of writing, designing or even thinking like us. However, as artificial intelligence keeps improving, the concern about different aspects of our lives start to show up like: what will happen to our jobs? or will AI replace us or help us?
Experts on technology are giving their opinions on this uncertainty. Some of them believe artificial intelligence will make many people lose their jobs whereas others think it will be an open window to new opportunities and work roles. So, let’s see what they have to say about artificial intelligence more in detail.
‘’AI will reduce up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs’’
Dario Amodei is the CEO of Anthropic, an AI company. He has warned about artificial intelligence getting rid of half of the basic office jobs in the next 5 years. What’s more, other sectors could be affected where many tasks are automated, like technology, finances, law and consultancy. That’s scary, isn’t it?
Amodei believes talking frankly about this situation is the best thing to do, so that governments and companies are prepared for it. According to his estimations, unemployment could increase up to 10% or even 20% if no action is taken beforehand.
‘’I pretty much disagree with almost everything he says’’
On the other side it’s Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia (leader company on chips for AI). He doesn’t agree with Amodei’s view on AI because Huang is convinced that artificial intelligence will change our jobs for sure, but not in the catastrophic way Amodei suggested. According to Huang, it’s normal that technology transforms the way we work, but he also believes that new job opportunities will come with artificial intelligence.
‘’Our relationship with future AI systems is that we’re going to be their bosses’’
Yann LeCun is a chief scientist of AI at Meta, the parent company of Facebook. He is another optimist on the future of artificial intelligence , he published on LinkedIn his support of Huang.
LeCun thinks artificial intelligence could replace some people, but human beings will be the ones still in control over technology, we will be the ones deciding how to use it. For him, the fear Amodei talked about is not justified.
‘’Artificial intelligence would create very valuable jobs’’
Demis Hassabis is cofounder of DeepMind (a Google AI company) and he is of the view that not only artificial intelligence will replace, but it also will boost people who know how to use it. Hassabis said that technology will create valuable jobs, mostly for those who already have knowledge on maths, science or IT fields.
He says we are able to quickly adapt to new tools and this will allow us to make the most of artificial intelligence instead of fearing it.
‘’For mundane intellectual labor, AI is just going to replace everybody’’
Geoffrey Hinton is one of the pioneers on the development of artificial intelligence and is the one with the most worrying view on this issue. He suggests that if you want to have a secure job, you need to be well trained.
Hilton is of the opinion that artificial intelligence will replace intellectual and repetitive jobs almost entirely, he even gives the example of him being scared if he was working at a call center. That’s why he made clear that jobs requiring our physical or manual skills are the most secure jobs because there’s still a long way for artificial intelligence to get there.
‘’AI will totally take some jobs away and create a bunch of new ones’’
Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and he believes artificial intelligence is going to get rid of some jobs. However, he is also convinced that it’s going to create new ones.
Altman also mentioned that we haven’t lived the ‘’humanoid robots’’ moment, but he thinks it is nearer than we think. He pictures several robots walking on the street doing things we did, which will make us realize the change we are living.
So…
All experts share the idea that artificial intelligence is going to transform the work world, but the difference is on how this will happen. This debate hasn’t finished yet, it will keep going while technology continues advancing.
So, the best thing to do is be prepared and updated on all the new technological tools related to AI because one thing is for sure: artificial intelligence is the future.