The hive mind: the need for humans in an AI and data world

There was a time when the terms ‘data science’ and ‘artificial intelligence’ were only used in blockbusting sci-fi action thrillers

Learning from other key technological changes gives people and businesses the hindsight on how to overcome fear and resistance to change and instead, facilitate personal progression. The future of business is the active partnership of man and machine – just as it has been for centuries

It’s safe to say the terms artificial intelligence (AI) and data science to say these terms have firmly made their way from the big screen and into the real world. There’s never been more data at people’s fingertips – and our enthusiasm and ability to make use of it grows every day.
With more data potential, the next logical step for businesses is to focus on how we navigate through it, and understand how machines can help us use it.

Every part of an organisation’s infrastructure, no matter what sector, creates data – from metrics on machine performance, to software and customer interactions. Everyone has heard the hype that surrounds AI and how it’s changing business, but why has this hit the mainstream now?
Never send a human to do a machine’s job – the motto of the future?
Historically, the depth of learning possible from data was limited by time and resource. However, with evolutions in technology, the datasets available today are not only far larger, but businesses are more aware of the value locked in understanding the interrelations between these datasets.
As a result, the power of accurate and prudent analysis of data has been unlocked.

Unsurprisingly, this evolution has unleashed a fear that technology is now smart enough to seize human jobs. It’s not the first time ‘the rise of the machine’ has had us looking for reassurance and job stability – from the weaving machines of the industrial revolution through to the introduction of the automated production line.

Automation has continually prompted concerns that technology will make people redundant or alter society in unsettling ways.
In an era of an industry-wide skills gap, combined with the rise of AI such as IBM’s Watson, the fears that ‘the robots will take over’ are not only logical, but more prominent than ever.
Those with roles in data and analytics in particular have growing concerns – especially when it is estimated that some five million jobs will be taken by robots by 2020.

But is there an opportunity for the hive mind? One where human and machine complement each other and are more valuable than the sum of their parts?
Turning discord into harmony
Luckily for the human race, the answer to that question is yes. The machine-based dystopian apocalypse is still, for now, one of fiction.
One of the reasons why it is unlikely that technology will completely replace humans within the decision-making process lies in its very purpose. Machine learning and AI are intended to create new, innovative solutions based on an analysis of the data it ‘reads’.
But technology cannot comprehend the emotional impact of these decisions or be trusted to act on them appropriately. Dispassion is not always a strength.

So, while the hive mind is achievable, the next question raised is, as usual, how? How will man and machine work together? We know that data analytics and machine learning are key for business automation.