Will AI Take Over Your Job?

The technology takeover is constantly said to be on the horizon. Technology, in hindsight, liberates human labor from dull, repetitive duties, allowing us to be more productive and take on more rewarding employment. Some might say robots come for everyone’s employment, putting millions upon millions of people out of work and throwing the economy into disorder.
​
​Let’s look at how robots have already affected our lives. We frequently spend so much time discussing the possibility of robots taking our jobs that we overlook how they are already affecting our lives – sometimes for the better, sometimes not. New technologies can provide businesses with tools for monitoring, supervising, and encouraging their employees, but they can also be detrimental. For example, not all automation initiatives boost productivity or, for that matter, anything other than company earnings. Self-checkout stations may eliminate the need for cashiers, but don’t improve or speed up the shopping experience.

​Companies are taking away individuality and putting revenue tactics on digital overload, transforming work into a place where there are fewer rewards and more penalties. This is at the expense of workers. Perhaps the robotic catastrophe hasn’t arrived yet. Or it is, and many of us aren’t fully aware of it, in part because we misunderstood parts of the tale. It’s not the robot that’s the issue; it’s what your employer wants the robot to accomplish.

– Inaz Budhwani