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Will Humans Require a Set of New Skills in Near Future?

The approach to life and the source of livelihood has a great potential of being reshaped, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. However, there is a need for supervision to be practiced as there are issues, which may arise as result of the technology being left untamed.

The MPs who are in the science and technology committee have made a call for a thorough inspection to be done for any probable legal, societal or ethical impact. The committee sees it best that the government should look into establishing a competent commission that will address the issues adequately. This means that humans will need to acquire a new set of skills since artificial intelligence would have taken over their jobs and left them with no means of livelihood.

Science Fact

Individuals such as Tesla Elon Musk, have gone to the extent of declaring Artificial Intelligence as the largest threat facing the survival of the human species. The acting chairlady of science and technology committee, Dr. Tania Mathias, stated that AI will have a distance to cover before it gets to a point where robots and systems advance significantly, just as they have been depicted in films i.e. Star Wars.

Currently, Artificial Intelligent machines have limited and quite specific roles which include playing board game GO or voice recognition and even performing customer service role i.e. Inteladesk. However, science fiction is gradually advancing to a point where it will become scientific facts. This means that robotics and AI are more likely to take a significant role in the human life come the near future.

Failed Leadership

DeepMind, a British firm owned by Google has over 250 scientific researchers who are working on Artificial Intelligence while in their London headquarters. This company has managed to design a machine that is capable of surpassing one of the world’s known greatest Go players. As at now, it is focusing on developing an artificial hippocampus- part of the human brain, which is responsible for creativity and memory.

The effect of Artificial Intelligence will significantly reflect on the values of individuals who took part in building them. AI is definitely a tool that human race is responsible for designing, controlling and directing. Therefore, it is up to all humans to play a significant role in directing the tool towards the common good of the society. However, there are firms such as Centurysoft, that have played a key role in providing consultation services to firms that seek advice when it comes to adopting these new technologies present in the market.

DeepMind together with the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and IBM, have setup an AI partnership. This group aims at addressing all the concerns on where exactly the technology is heading. However, Dr. Mathias mentioned that the partnership will not absolve the government’s responsibility. As at now, the government has not been successful when it comes to showing leadership in this matter.

Displacing Jobs

Dr. Mathis wishes that the commission, which the MPs wanted to be set up in Alan Turing Institute, focus on identifying the principles that will play a key role in governing both the development and application of AI, also fostering the public debates.

It will now be possible to see AI technology create jobs in the coming years, while simultaneously displacing others. Nevertheless, there are other platforms such as SILVIA which are bringing efficiency when it comes to ensuring transactions get delivered seamlessly and securely.

As at now, individuals don’t have the visual acuity to foresee how the changes will unfold, meaning that humans will need to respond quickly to both up-skill and re-skill. The government’s commitment will be required in the process for the purpose of verifying that both the education and training system are indeed flexible. This means they will have the adaptability trait while demand and opportunities of workforce experience change.

The head of big data and analytics for TechUK, Sue Daley, stated that just like every powerful new technology, AI and robotics will usher in an era of change, and it is important that they are used in a manner that impacts positively to the ordinary people while at the same time strengthening the society. Academia, business, citizens and the government, each has a significant role to play towards ensuring that there is a balanced debate with respect to the potential impact that new technology poses and also ensuring that everyone gains from the development and use of this technology.

Conclusion

Technological advancement has both positive and negative impact on the society. However, if relevant precautions are taken, then the future of human race will be protected.