How machines will complement and facilitate human work, but not replace it

How machines will complement and facilitate human work, but not replace it

The automation of production processes is taking ever greater strides. The expansion of technology, which has been revolutionizing our lives for decades, has been picking up speed in recent years thanks to the massive spread of Artificial Intelligence.

Robots are gaining ground in our working environments every day. Just think of how widespread chatbots, the little robots used by companies to provide customer service and which simulate human service, have become in recent times.

This is just one of the most visible examples of this ongoing revolution that will affect every sphere of our lives, from autonomous cars to the Internet of Things. All sectors - from the healthcare system to industries, including the financial market - will be increasingly impacted by technology.

Machines are already capable of taking on repetitive tasks such as supervising routine processes, answering the same questions over and over again or extracting data from endless documents. Does this mean that only robots will replace humans?

According to Harvard Business Reviewmagazine from Harvard University in the USA, there is no need to worry: machines can perform tasks, but not entire jobs. The publication predicts that machines will complement and facilitate the work of humans, but not completely replace them.

With the automation of repetitive and more boring processes, people will have more free time for creative and productive tasks. Machines and people will increasingly work hand in hand, one integrating the other with their own expertise and capabilities. One example comes from medicine: we don't need fewer doctors, but thanks to technology we have more precise medicine and better cures.

Will there be job losses? Certainly, but they will be offset by the creation of new vacancies and jobs. In the report "Jobs of Tomorrow: Mapping Opportunity in the New Economy" (the World Economic Forum estimates that 75 million jobs will disappear by 2022 as a result of technological advances.

On the other hand, technology could create another 133 million jobs in various sectors: health, marketing, sales and communication, data and AI (Artificial Intelligence), engineering and cloud computing, and even human resources and culture.

Some tech gurus like Bill Gates and Elon Musk are even proposing solutions such as a universal basic income to help people who have lost their jobs because of machines. Gates suggests funding this aid through a "robot income tax", i.e. a levy paid by companies every time a robot replaces a human.

According to the Harvard researchers, there will be plenty of bumps in this technological road, but with the right planning and development, Artificial Intelligence could usher in a golden age of productivity, job satisfaction and prosperity. 

Do you want to optimize processes and your employees' working time? Do you need to boost your analysis with large amounts of data and increasingly assertive forecasts? Get in touch and ask for a demonstration with one of our consultants. Find out now what Artificial Intelligence can do for your company.