Communication and information technology has advanced rapidly in the last decade. From computers and cell phones to what some feel may be the intelligence that will someday destroy humans. That is artificial intelligence or AI. AI simulates human intelligence with machines—mainly computer systems. AI’s applications include expert systems, speech recognition and machine vision. When AI is combined with robotics, the result is machines that can do the work that humans currently do. This may be good for business but bad for workers since businesses may be able to operate without workers in the future leaving many people with no method of generating income and putting the future of their survival in jeopardy. However, most communications and information technology experts say that AI will definitely change the way work is performed in the future, there will still always be a need for humans and that AI will create new opportunities and methods of generating income. This is the optimistic way of viewing the future of AI and the workforce, but there is also a pessimistic aspect too.

Because of advancements in computer and robotic technology, computers are better at both physical and cognitive tasks. They can now perform activities such as speech and face recognition, interpreting texts, analyzing medical data, driving cars and several other tasks as well as humans. The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine issued a report titled, “Information and the U.S. Workforce: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here?” that offers examples of the type of advancements AI systems have made such as “defeat[ing] humans at games such as chess, . . . answering a growing range of factual questions, and serving as intelligent software agents” (National Academies 2). These functions may not sound so threatening, but AI is set up so that computers learn by themselves through analyzing the data that they have—conceivably all the known information that has ever been recorded—making connections, and coming up with new information that they alone can act on. If they are attached to robotics, then they can act upon this new intelligence. However, that is a worry for the future about how advanced AI could possibly become.

The more immediate concern is that AI and robotics are already eliminating some jobs. For instance, Alexis and Siri have eliminated the need for customer service agents who answer questions for customers. They have also eliminated the need for researchers who look for information that people need to know. When AI is manufactured into cars, the cars can drive themselves and that eliminates the need for any driving occupations. The National Academies explain that AI uses algorithms that help to identify patterns in historic data that can be used to infer information for future use (National Academies 2). This has been used to predict the response patients will have to medical treatment for instance. With the generation of online data, AI will continue to become more advanced and be able to function in many more ways that will mean less need for humans to perform jobs. Yet, as frightening as it may seem for workers who fear losing their jobs to automation, recent studies show that AI is not taking hold as rapidly as some believe. Robotics Business Review cites a recent study of U.S.-based manufacturers that found three-quarters of them had not introduced AI-related jobs to their businesses. Only about 20 percent have re-evaluated roles, levels and pay scales to attract workers with AI skills (Robotics Business Review). Of course, this will likely change rapidly in the near future.

AI can be compared to the thinking portion of a human being and robotics to the acting portion. For instance, the brain tells a worker to use the forklift he is driving to pick up a crate and move it to another area of the warehouse. With AI and robotics, the computer reasons that the box should be moved to another part of the warehouse. It then tells the forklift to pick up the box and gives it the coordinates so that the forklift can drive over to the area of the warehouse where the box should go. This sort of activity could go on forever presumably without a human present if the AI part of the system is well programmed and all the mechanics are functioning properly. Such a scenario illustrates not only the positive aspects of AI and robotics, but also the negative aspects.

Some of the positive aspects of AI is that work is done more efficiently. There are not two or three humans who must pass on instructions as to where the box should be located and who and how it should be moved to that place, so the instructions do not get reinterpreted as they go from one person to another. The potential for a human worker being injured moving the box is non-existent. The machines will not become fatigued and need a break. They will