Artificial Intelligence is a trending buzz word we’re all hearing about and is bound to impact us in some way or another, given the revolutionary changes it is predicted to have. By definition AI is a system that utilises data to learn and is plastic in order to meet the goals it’s been designed to achieve. This article is meant to shine light on the strong points and the drawbacks in light of how AI can impact our work and occupations.
Machinery/technology has improved tremendously over the past century. Firms have increasingly adopted physical capital, particularly in certain sectors which require mass production of homogenous or near-identical goods. From initial glance you would look at the efficacy of these capital as they can lower costs for firms, meaning more profits for them, and potentially more inexpensive commodities for us. But if you take a step backwards, this came at the expense of those workers who were performing repetitive tasks and became replaced with more efficient equipment. Most do not see this as an issue since such jobs were perceived to be of a low-skilled nature and mundane, so this barely flinched younger generations whose jobs are thought of to be of more skilled and/or secure.
As time progressed AI has gradually become commensurate with higher-skilled jobs as we move towards a more technologically-oriented society. Take into account, for instance, less ‘rigid’ jobs which entail a degree of creativity or freedom, such as artists and writers. There are an increasing number of programs, like the increasingly trending Chat-GPT, which can generate similar and good work, be it an intricate article or visually appealing artworks. Although this is a relatively new phenomenon, in the sense that this hasn’t been standardised in most businesses domestically, such jobs could be easily at risk in a few years’ time if entrepreneurs opt for such programs. The likelihood is that AI won’t regress i.e., it will only keep enhancing, with its quality and output following suit. The degree to which occupations become insecure depends evidently on the degree of technology advancement and how responsive firms would be in adopting such new changes, but given Malta’s lagging when it comes to technological dimensions and novel procedures, such consequences are likely to take longer in materialising.
On the flip side, AI can lead to job creation particularly since it’s a growing ‘sector’, which is a viable argument if it is capable of offsetting the occupations that are made redundant. For example, UOM which is one of the main hubs in Malta which focuses on R&D projects can introduce more AI-oriented jobs which students could have the opportunity to work in. That said, this upside is discarding certain elements. Firstly, there may be people who have insufficient skills/education level to adapt to these new jobs, or realistically are outright lazy and do not have the willingness to change. Secondly, even if individuals are able to match such requirements (converging towards a more knowledge-oriented economy in which jobs could heavily center around data analysis or similar tasks) and earn potentially higher wages, this might come at the expense of doing an extremely mundane or undesirable job from the individual’s perspective. So realistically has their wellbeing improved?
Alternatively, a common ground can be reached, like most instances, where employees are paired with AI programs. A professor unravels how AI would impact society on a larger scale. From an optimist’s perspective it will be utilised when making decisions, but from a more pessimistic viewpoint, AI machines see their knowledge/optimisation increased and make most, if not all, our decisions on our behalf. Realistically we can observe both sides happening at the moment. Students are now increasingly utilising AI programs in aiding them in their studies, be it for seemingly irrelevant small tasks or for huge sections of an assignment/project.
Some argue that softwares like Chat-GTP are not sufficiently robust enough to tackle certain projects, notably those requiring exigent analysis/thinking. Although that could be true, people need to bear in mind: (i) the number of students using the program and (ii) the extent to which they are using it and (iii) the dynamic aspect to it when it draws from people’s knowledge. As the frequency of people using it rises, affixed with more intense usage, it would likely result in enhancement from the knowledge it acquires, rendering it capable of tackling more difficult issues.
I can definitely understand the former point as such tools can help students clear away from tedious tasks, prioritise life and be more productive. However, abusing from such a system could likely abstain students from the critical thinking aspect that university is meant to supplement students with. So, although AI can have positive impacts for society potentially yielding larger welfare, one should also take a holistic approach to not exclude the ‘costs’ that can materialise from it. Would companies still employ individuals if their skills can be substituted through ultra-modern technology?