AI-Human Collaboration and the Future of Work

Background

Brief History of Automation

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s there has been the fear of machines taking over human labor. Admittedly, in the short-term, these fears have been realized. However, in the long-term, automation has evolved fields like manufacture (factories), construction (bulldozers, cranes and excavators) and even research (search engines). Moreover, human roles in these evolved fields have remained, albeit changed and maybe more specialized.

What is AI-Human Collaboration?

AI-Human Collaboration is the idea that this trend can continue with the rise of AI in the workforce. Instead of outright replacement and banishment in a certain field, humans can take on more specialized roles. However, that isn’t to say that there aren’t concerns for both the short and long-term.

Uses

AI and humans taking complementary roles in the workforce. AI/robots carry out the more menial tasks, humans fulfill roles that require them to expect the unexpected.

Proper implementation of AI, like other instances of automation, could see the expansion of human roles.

Who

Construction companies
Factories
Medical and biological research
Software development

Potential Concerns

Jobs will still be lost.
- Possible mid-career re-training/re-education
Still a transition period with a new technology
- Over-perscription of underdeveloped technology
- AI could be less efficient, less effective or more expensive than a human workforce.
AI + moving parts = potential safety hazard

News

Collaborative Excavator by Zoomlion
The Rise of Collaborative Robots
AI-Powered robots as potential replacements?

Provocations

With robots taking on more low-skill tasks will there still be room for humans in the manual labor workforce?
How should we handle work displacement and re-training?
What occupations are more likely to lose their value when we take away the element of human-to-human interaction.

Caleb Vredevoogd