THE FUTURE OF WORK; HOW AUTOMATION AND AI ARE RESHAPING CAREERS
THE FUTURE OF WORK; HOW AUTOMATION AND AI ARE RESHAPING CAREERS
Introduction
Over time, we've grown
fond and needful of AI and automated technology. It starts in almost every part
of our lives, from automatic doors to workshop line robots, to marketable
process automation. Nowadays, artificial intelligence is the conversation of
the urban, and the dreaded robot overthrow appears to be undecided ever closer.
We have chatbots handling customer service, AI in our back pockets, and
gradually 'smart' homes.
The excessive use of
Automation shows people interest on large scale and it becomes the mega source
of world development nowadays. Now, people are dreading the effect of
automation on their jobs. It is beginning to cause a great deal of anxiety and
stress among workers. They are forced to acquire new skills and adapt to the
increasingly capable machines alongside them in the workplace.
As a result, some
occupations will decline, others will grow, and many more will change. Workers
may have to move from declining occupations to growing and, in some cases, new
occupations. While we believe there will be enough work to go around, society
will need to grapple with significant workforce transitions and dislocation.
Automation
and Artificial intelligence
Automation refers to the
development and application of technology in the workplace to produce and
deliver goods and services with only minimal human intervention. Automation has
been able to transform work from physically demanding and mundane task to
cognitively complex task, allowing for improved working and living conditions.
Artificial intelligence ‘AI’ systems increasingly take over decisions,
previously made by humans, related to people management. Although the
literature seems to suggest that AI is to augment, rather than replace, humans
in the workplace, this does not necessarily mean that people are eager to
accept algorithmic management to control aspects of their work. Automation
still causes a great deal of anxiety and stress among workers. Automation is a
continuum, meaning that the degree to which an organization is automated
depends on the number of tasks that are being controlled by technology relative
to those that are controlled by employees.
Automation/AI’s
impact on transformation of the nature of work and career
Automation and artificial
intelligence (AI) are transforming businesses and will contribute to economic
growth via contributions to productivity. They are transforming the nature of
work and the workplace itself—which is the focus of this writing. Machines will
be able to carry out more of the tasks done by humans, complement the work that
humans do, and even perform some tasks that go beyond what humans can do. As a result, some occupations will decline, others will
grow, and many more will change. While we believe there will be enough work to
go around, society will need to grapple with significant workforce transitions
and dislocation. Workers will need to acquire new skills and adapt to the
increasingly capable machines alongside them in the workplace. They may have to
move from declining occupations to growing and, in some cases, new occupations.
These technologies are
already generating value in various products and services, and companies across
sectors use them in an array of processes to personalize product
recommendations, find anomalies in production, identify fraudulent
transactions, and more. The latest generation of AI advances, including
techniques that address classification, estimation, and clustering problems,
promises significantly more value still.
Impact of AI/Automation
on careers/industries.
Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence and automation are
the keys to future growth across industries, and the manufacturing sector is no
exception to it. Manufacturers are using AI-backed analytics and data to reduce
unplanned downtime, enhance efficiency, product quality, and the safety of
employees.
AI can significantly
enhance the quality and scale of work in the manufacturing industry by improving
the capabilities of every manufacturing business function. This is done
through; Predictive Maintenance of machines, Production Enhancement and
Quality Enhancement.
The adoption of AI in the
manufacturing industry is seen as a positive development, and fruitful results
can be achieved through training and re-skilling the existing workforce. AI and
automation will allow humans to focus on activities that generate more value
for their roles and the business. Working knowledge of the latest technologies
used in manufacturing, combined with the hands-on expertise that the current
workforce possesses, can position them at the forefront of the manufacturing
industry transformation.
Retail
industry
Automation and AI are set
to redesign the entire retail industry model and the broader value chain. This
transition will result in the emergence of organizations with fewer layers and
a better-skilled, and trusted workforce backed by real-time data and analytics.
With a more well-rounded team and newer roles that are a hybrid between
technology and business, organizations will have a much faster decision-making
process. For example, the famous footwear, apparel, and equipment brand,
Nike Inc., has designed a system where customers can create their designs as
well as shoes and go out of the store wearing them.
Healthcare
Artificial Intelligence
is already being used to diagnose and treat diseases. AI can be extensively
used in treating a wide variety of diseases. The presence of AI has been and
will be assisting medical professionals in diagnosing illnesses faster and,
using the data collected from AI algorithms, work on finding better solutions.
Therefore, it becomes essential for healthcare
providers/radiologists/pathologists to learn and implement these technologies.
Balancing AI With Human
Interaction
Artificial intelligence
and automation hold revolutionizing potential across industries. People are
finding innovative ways to utilize artificial intelligence in the workplace.
However, AI must work with humans to truly increase business
productivity and efficiency. For example, articles written by generative AI
still need human modification. One of the most concerning issues is the
phenomenon of AI
hallucination, which is when AI tools generate
plausible but factually inaccurate or unrelated outputs. Reports have
disclosed in recent times that corrections are occasionally being issued to
dozens of stories that are AI-generated, including edits deemed
"substantial." This is why human oversight in AI is crucial.
Despite the fact that AI
is frequently hailed as a future technology, companies are interested in
knowing how their staff members feel about the biggest challenges in
implementing automation and AI in the workplace. Some workplace issues, such as
job losses, arise with the introduction of automated components. Additionally,
humans and technology relate directly in a manner characterised by dynamic
behaviour.
The Industrial Revolution
was enabled by interactions between people and advanced technologies, but the
combination of industry and
technology may have been its most distinctive feature. The close interaction
between humans and advanced technology has led to more applications of AI,
robotics, and the Internet
of Things, which has resulted in the increased automation of
tasks and jobs, which has unavoidably impacted the social connection that all
humans share. This connection is evolving rapidly, and the combination of
automation and AI has already begun to alter the commercial environment.
Challenges associated
with automation
Technology
Apprehension
Implementation
of new technology in the workplace can be experienced as threatening because it
often goes hand in hand with numerous other changes, some of which can
drastically alter the way workers conduct their work. Automation can make tasks
more complex, abstract, and unpredictable, for the employees, increasing their
sense of workload. Improving worker perceptions of the usefulness of the new
technology (e.g., by emphasizing how it can make certain tasks easier or more
efficient) can also positively influence performance and workers’ mental and
physical functioning.
Job
Insecurity
Automation is bound to
alter the nature and availability of jobs, resulting in an increased sense of
job insecurity. For example, AI has shown to outperform human workers in
complex performance tasks ranging from speech and perception to cognition and
problem-solving (Jarrahi, 2018),
making it progressively challenging for workers to compete with machines. When
employees feel that they job is threatened, this can have profoundly negative
effects on them by decreasing their mental and physical health over time.
Perceived
Lack of Control
At the highest level of
automation, technology decides on everything, acting autonomously without human
input. This can be problematic for several reasons, such as increased employee
boredom and complacency. Moreover, perceived lack of control associated with
technology can result in higher levels of employees’ stress. This in turn can
result in unsuccessful implementation of new technology, as well as to
increased perceptions of job insecurity among workers.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that AI
is frequently hailed as a future technology, companies are interested in
knowing how their staff members feel about the biggest challenges in
implementing automation and AI in the workplace. Manufacturers use AI-supported
analytics and data to reduce unplanned downtimes, increase productivity,
improve product quality, and improve worker safety. Thus, periodically
re-evaluating the actual drivers underlying the adoption of automation and AI
is essential.
Also, as automation
continues to change the world of work, organizations need to develop ways to
promote optimal worker functioning and well-being in the era of automation.
Organizations must move beyond perceiving automation as a looming threat to
finding ways to effectively deal with the opportunities and challenges associated
with the implementation of automation in the workplace. Businesses and individuals need to weigh the
pros and cons before implementing AI.
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