Don’t Fear the AI: 7 Ways AI Will Help Humanity Rather Than Harm It
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an intriguing concept, and innovations in the field are growing by leaps and bounds. The implications of AI — both positive and negative — have fascinated experts and amateurs alike for many years, but there are some great benefits of artificial intelligence that are perhaps not frequently considered.
Digital technology has been developing at a breakneck speed over the last few decades, and it is safe to say that today most of us have significantly more technological power in our pockets than we had in our entire homes back in the 90s.
There have also been significant breakthroughs in the field of machine learning and deep learning. These concepts have allowed machines to process and analyze information, and in some cases to learn for themselves, in a very sophisticated manner.
Thanks to these developments in AI technology, machines can now learn to perform complex functions such as facial recognition.
That being said, there has been significant debate regarding the risks posed by artificial intelligence to humanity. There have even been concerns about AI taking control of our lives to the extent that it may prove to be detrimental to humanity.
It is also feared that as a result of the application of AI in our daily lives, unforeseen consequences could occur, such as the development of killer robots and putting people out of work. There are also allegations that AI has already been used to manipulate elections.
Fears of the potentially darker side of AI are one thing, but they are balanced by some surprising potential benefits that AI and ML could be poised to deliver. Here are some of the most notable examples.
Today, AI-augmented robots can easily perform a variety of automated tasks, both inside and outside of the factory, without the need for constant human intervention. AI is poised to be a transformative technology for some applications and tasks across a wide suite of industries.
Machine learning, deep learning, and other AI technologies are already being used to reduce human workloads in assembly, packaging, customer service, and HR, among other areas.
This has reduced operational costs and employee costs substantially, bringing about a level of sophisticated automation never before seen.
A beautiful example of the wonders of AI in enhancing the level of automation can be seen in the Japanese machine tool builder, Okuma. In 2018, they highlighted a multitude of innovations to showcase the future of smart manufacturing.
This includes robots for plants of all sizes, new and improved machine tools, and smart machine tools. Such examples clearly demonstrate the potential of AI for the future of work in industry.
We may also see a rise in AI and robots working alongside human operatives too in the future. Called “cobots”, these robotic coworkers can help assist, rather than fully replace, human workers to help improve the overall efficiency, and general happiness, of their human colleagues.
Companies like Amazon are already seeing benefits from this kind of working relationship between us and the machines.
One of the main benefits of artificial intelligence is its ability to reduce the drudgery involved in many work tasks. Repetitive, tedious tasks in any job are the bane of many human workers around the world. Some are so boring, that mistakes are commonplace, as human attention can be difficult to sustain when conducting repetitive tasks.
Such tasks, however, are perfectly suited for computer automation. This is where sophisticated AIs could come to the rescue.
Machines excel in taking care of standardized processing work like data entry, etc, freeing up human operatives to concentrate on the more creative and interpersonal aspects of their jobs or lives.
Let’s take the example of the banking sector, which has seen something of a major breakthrough in this area, thanks to the applications of AI.
