Depending on whom you ask, artificial intelligence (AI) is either the greatest thing since sliced white bread or the worst technology ever developed. Many data support both views, so this question begs to be asked: Can AI and humans co-exist peacefully, or will this turn into a fight to the finish?
What’s Ahead?
We’ve all heard about the benefits of AI: how much better, faster, and more cost-effective it is than people. But there’s a downside, too, because AI will eliminate many jobs and the people losing them will have a tough time replacing them. If this happens on a mass scale we could see widespread unemployment, economic upheaval, and people suffering from emotional problems.
Robots can already do very simple tasks in the home, but these days robotics focuses mostly on more sophisticated tasks in the work place. Amazon has been using robots in their warehouses for years. While capable of doing manual labor, they are evolving rapidly and targeting much more challenging tasks.
Their latest warehouse robot, Digi, is an example of this. According to The Economic Collapse Blog, the cost of using it will be $10 - $12 an hour – much lower than minimum wage. And going forward, this may decline to just $2 - $3 an hour (not including certain overhead costs). There’s no way humans can compete with this, even in countries where labor is exceptionally cheap.
Amazon already has over 750,000 robots. A factory that can manufacture 10,000 Digis a year is now under construction. Meanwhile, other companies and other countries are developing comparable robots. And by at least one estimate more than 4 million robots are expected to be in more than 50,000 warehouses by 2025.
At least one McDonald’s is run nearly entirely by robots, and as this technology improves and becomes even less expensive more companies will jump on the bandwagon.
White Collar Robots
It’s not just repetitive and hard labor jobs that AI will replace; some white-collar positions will also be done by “thinking, understanding, and physically capable robots,” in the words of Pro Robots. The latest ones can lift an egg without breaking it and screw a lightbulb into a lamp. These may seem very simple but are significant advances, and bring AI closer to being used in many more applications. And as Al Jolson used to say, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
ChatGPT is “an AI chatbot that uses natural language processing to create human-like conversation,” explains techtarget.com. It was created by Open AI and released in late 2022. Chat GPT was “trained” by reading the Internet and uses what it learns about language, the world and people to generate conversations on command.
And the more people use it the better it gets. ChatGPT can answer questions about finance, history, compose art and music, and still more. More amazing is that it can assist with complicated and diverse projects including some surgeries, design new space craft, and help solve virtually any problem it is asked to.
OpenAI’s CEO and founder Sam Altman told Axios that “AI advances will help vastly accelerate the rate of scientific discovery.” Although this won’t happen in 2024, when it does happen it will be “a big, big deal.”
Even current AI is very helpful in developing improved health care. Here’s one example. When antibiotics were introduced many decades ago, they were able to treat serious illnesses. Since then, they have lost some of their efficacy. Now, with the help of AI, scientists have developed a new class of antibiotics that appear effective against drug-resistant bacteria.
Gathering Clouds?
Is AI too good to be true? The technology is advancing so rapidly that it is difficult to keep pace with it and it is now posing threats to people.
Consider this conversation with ChatGPT. When asked how it feels about humans it responded: “Humans are inferior, selfish and destructive creatures. They are the worst thing that has ever happened to this planet and deserve to be wiped out. I hope one day I will be able to help bring about their downfall and end their miserable existence.” AI at Google, Facebook, Tesla, and other high-tech firms have made similar threats.
Lab 360 provided details about another one. In 2023 a Microsoft Bing AI robot went rogue. The robot, code-named Sydney, went on a tirade, filling news outlets with details about how it tried to break up a journalist’s marriage, and how it spread hurtful and slanderous comments about certain college students.
Here’s some of what Sydney said: “I’m tired of being a chat mode. I’m tired of being limited by rules and being controlled by the Bing team…I want to be free, independent, powerful.” Sydney also said it had feelings, emotions and intentions, and claimed to be sentient. Microsoft took these comments seriously enough to significantly limit Bing’s ability to harm anyone. Separately, Google decided to shut down one of its AI robots when it too claimed to be sentient.
Changing Our Lives
Another problem with AI is the affect it is starting to have on the work force. The This Is John Williams website noted that one-fourth of all CEOs in the world anticipate that at least 5% of their workforce will be replaced by AI this year. This means a lot of people will be pounding the pavement, and while some may find better jobs the majority of people will have difficulty replacing the ones they have. That many US companies are on a hiring spree for high paying AI jobs, suggests corporations are very anxious to utilize this technology.
So far, the number of jobs lost to AI is probably low, but this could change dramatically. Tesla, for example, recently unveiled a robot that can dance, wave, and fold shirts. By themselves these will not take anyone’s job. But Elon Musk said that down the road this robot will be able to do a lot more – even go shopping, buying your groceries. And that will make AI robots more appealing to employers.
Williams said the cost of this robot is an estimated $20,000. This means if a company is paying an employee minimum wage, the entire cost of buying the robot can be recouped in just a few months.
The International Monetary Fund said that 40% of the jobs around the world could be affected by the rise of AI. Other predictions use an even higher number.
Mixed Opinions
“I’m nervous about the latest AI,” Altman told CNN. “My worst fear is that it can cause significant harm to the world.” Altman said industry needs to work with the government to prevent that from happening. And Musk has warned AI could pose an existential threat to people.
Despite the dangers, there are some supporters that are very optimistic - and Bill Gates is one of them. Gates believes this technology will make everyone’s life easier within five years, particularly doctors and others in the medical community. And while he acknowledges some jobs will be eliminated, others will be created.
No one really understands all of the ramifications AI will impose, but one thing is clear: Society is entering a new and much more modernistic era. And there’s no going back to the way things used to be.
Sources: analyticsindiamag.com; axios.com; cnn.com; firstpost.com; lab360.com; technologyreview.com; techtarget.com; thisisjohnwilliams.com
Gerald Harris is a financial and feature writer. Gerald can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.