The news has been awash with provocative articles about the future of jobs in our society. The exponentially advancing nature of Artificially Intelligent machines, after AlphaGo turned out to be a better Go player than any human – combined with the power of the collective mind, makes it an urgent question to debate. There seems to be almost no job or field of endeavor that cannot be disrupted – from routine and manual jobs to non-routine and cognitive jobs, all are now at risk of being replaced by intelligent machines.
Simple example- the other day I saw a conscious robotic arm in the pharmacy of the hospital, which is already dispensing medicine packages more accurately, efficiently and in a more space-saving way than any human could possibly do. This raises the question that maybe humans should let the work be done by machines after all- why fight it – we humans were meant for more higher pursuits anyway. Not as far fetched as it initially seems! And robot bartenders are already employed in ships, as the video clip shows: Robot Bartender on Cruise Ship
Machine vs. Man was never a fair fight. From cameras and telescopes to ships and airplanes and drones, to the newest generation of “thinking” computers- there are hardly any jobs that machines cannot do better than humans.In fact, recent advances in technology and networked intelligence can lead to massive changes in entire societies, in the space of less than a generation. For just a small instance, look merely at what Fitbit can accomplish through scale and peer-pressure – rippling through an entire population, changing habits and behaviors in a relatively short period of time- and compare this with the impact a Personal Trainer can have with one client in a long set of focused one-on-one interactions.
Clearly, this new age of Deep Learning machines will extend human capability to hitherto undreamed of proportions. Meanwhile, there will always be a need to feed the hungry, heal the sick and deal with disasters- and to share the spoils of technology upgrades in an equitable and sustainable manner. And undoubtedly, the human touch remains essential in a variety of fields, from communicating with the customer to meeting the needs of the aged and infirm, as we all want to talk to each other, NOT to machines. So, there would always remain an ocean of opportunity for those creative enough, and optimistic enough, while letting machines do the bulk of the drudge-work.
But there is no doubt that the very nature of the technological revolution, will add fewer jobs for the vast majority of the population, than it takes away. Therefore, in some Scandinavian countries, policy makers are looking into the feasibility of granting a “Universal Basic Income” unconditionally to each and every member of society to enable basic necessities, as a form of equitable distribution of the gains of technological progress- thereafter leaving everyone to get time to do exactly what they please. In other countries including Philippines and India, the Conditional Cash Transfer is a means-tested way of ensuring that the poorest people have a minimum income guaranteed to them, funded from the public budget, that ensure starvation is kept at bay.
On the face of it, this sounds like a very good idea worth exploring further. For instance, having an “unconditional basic income” guaranteed to all, can help protect citizens against many of the travails that people face today- forced mobility, destructive globalization and various other effects of the despotism of the market. In this idealized scenario, if everyone had a UBI, people can be free to choose to live in the ancestral village instead of becoming migrant workers. And the disadvantaged (in terms of illness, disability, personal misfortune etc.) need not feel stigmatized. Meanwhile, since this guarantees only a minimum level, it may at best blunt the hard edge of desperation a bit, but yet does not really hamper creative and ambitious individuals – as they can feel free to pursue power and pelf or even work for other parameters, such as social approbation, (likes!) etc. Literally, virtual rewards could replace money thereby providing incentive to work. Idealized Utopia? Or practically achievable and desirable in our lifetimes?
All in all- the advances in technology raise urgent philosophical, ethical and moral questions that policy makers and societies need to debate here and now. It is terribly important to make the right choices – as individuals, as communities, and as a society- because it is what we DO with these new tools of technological and social progress, that changes the arena completely. Will our new capabilities lead to the arena becoming a battlefield? Or will it be a peaceful park, with machines existing to further the development of Man and the good of the earth and all who are in it? Wisdom, maturity and wise, responsible leadership is needed, and awakened not just in the few but in every one of us in this “Wiki-world”.
But, to end on a happy and optimistic note: human resourcefulness and inventiveness has managed to keep our society flourishing thus far; and green shoots and islands of hope have succeeded in inspiring the rest of us to follow suit. As Snoopy puts it best:
Reference: Here are links to the interesting articles on Pulse that provoked my thoughts on these weighty matters:
Jobs are for Machines– Scott Santens
Career Strategies when Life isnt black or white – George Anders
Alpha Go vs. You: Not a Fair Fight – Shelly Palmer
And, needless to say, these are just my own views- I am not representing any of my previous or current employers.
Voyage of Discovery 