AI in the workplace

The conversation discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the workforce, focusing on various fields like law, STEM, architecture, and science. AI is seen as a tool that can enhance efficiency but cannot replace human creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. The key takeaway is that while AI will change how people work, it won't completely replace humans. The importance lies in adapting to AI as a tool to excel in our fields rather than being replaced by it. Balancing AI with human skills is essential for the future of work. Hello listeners. Today we're going to discuss artificial intelligence or better known as AI and its implications for the incoming workforce. We'll be going over what AI is, how it will affect us as we are soon entering the workforce, and how it will affect each of our majors individually. Before we start, it is important to define what AI is. According to the article Artificial Intelligence by George Whitson, artificial intelligence is the design, implementation, and use of programs, machines, and systems that exhibit human intelligence. With these traits, AI has seen an increasing use in all aspects of the workplace, replacing people in fields that were once dominated by human workers. Yeah, I totally agree. The changes in the workplace are drastic and really impact us, but mainly the future workforce. How do you guys think this is going to affect us as undergraduate college students in our respective fields? Well, I think that the fields we are going into will see a shift in the way that people are utilized, as it won't be how it used to be pre-AI. I agree with how we will see a shift in the way people are utilized. According to the article Empathy by Design, Rethinking Law School Engagement for Critical Thinking in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by John Guerin, who is a professor at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Ford College of Law, wrote about how AI is already starting to change the way law students are being taught inside the classroom. Yeah, that's similar to the STEM field, as there's a lot of new innovations leading to AI being used in studies and discoveries in biology. So AI can already be used to map the brain, discovering new antibiotics and even speeding up drug discoveries. The ability of AI is extremely helpful in tasks as these because it can do it really quickly and it used to take years to do it. Yeah, AI definitely can be helpful, but I also think the fear of being replaced is a valid worry that students should have, like what happens to entry level jobs if AI can already do it for them? That's what I was thinking too, such as in research labs, AI can already do a lot of the basic work, like automating repetitive experiments, analyzing large databases to find patterns, and managing lab operations. We currently do have people doing these jobs, so I suppose AI could take their jobs, but at the same time AI can only make predictions and probability as it has no critical thinking or creativity. Yeah, that's similar to how it is in architecture too. According to this article, Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, integration into architectural design process by Neiman Matter and Navim Gado, they basically say that AI can make things faster and more organized, but AI cannot understand human creativity or emotional design. So yeah, maybe AI can do the technical work, but it can't do the artistic or spatial reasoning that architects rely on. Yeah, I suppose AI can do entry level tasks, but it cannot replace human thought and creativity. Also in the article by John Guerin, he talks about how AI can write legal briefs, analyze court data, and predict case outcomes, but it cannot understand empathy or logic. Yeah, I guess that is true. AI can generate answers, but it does not actually understand if it is morally or socially appropriate. Exactly. Going back to architecture, AI can generate a building that works structurally, but it can't feel what it's like to walk through it or what makes a space comforting or inspiring. This is an important part with architecture as you want people to feel relaxed and safe in the places you create. I find this conversation really interesting because we have such different majors, but yet we are all pretty much saying the same thing. That AI changes what we do, but it can't erase who we are. Yeah, that also applies to science. In the article, The Future of Biological Studies in Light of the AI Revolution by Gadir Alavardi, he explains that AI helps scientists do tasks that used to take years. He does want us to know that if scientists relied too much on AI, we could no longer understand the basics of biology ourselves. If a program tells me what experiment I should do, am I truly a scientist or am I just a machine operator at that point? That's a really good point. So we need to learn how to use AI without losing the skill to think for ourselves. So I wonder if we should really be using AI at all then. Like, what is the true point of it? Well, I think AI raises the bar and makes you focus on the harder stuff rather than the simple things. I don't know if I completely agree with that, as I think we should be learning the simple things in school. So shouldn't we just know it by memory? Well, the article by Garin argues that point by talking about how law schools should teach students how to think more critically instead of memorizing procedures that AI can already do. He thinks future lawyers should focus on things like emotional intelligence, ethics, and problem solving since AI cannot do that. I guess that could be true by focusing on the things AI cannot do in our jobs. This, however, makes it harder for students and assistants as they typically do the basic research. AI is just taking their jobs, which then makes it harder to be promoted in your job. That is actually really scary because those jobs are the jobs that teach people how to learn. Like, you sort of said you cannot get a high senior job right out of school. So if AI does take those entry-level jobs, where are we supposed to start? Well, that can be where universities need to adapt. Maybe start teaching students how to use AI as a skill. So, like, have an AI literacy class? But once again, if AI is doing all the decision-making, where do employees fit in? Well, I had seen something online talking about how companies who use AI completely tend to actually fail. So, is AI really helpful then? Well, I think if we learn how to use AI, we can work with AI rather than only humans doing the job or only AI doing the job. Like, if we take the time to understand how to use AI, we can take our strengths and apply it to AI. Well, I guess that could be true because the article by Garen also talks about how those who know how to use AI research tools or document reviews are getting hired first. Which I find kind of odd because knowing how to use AI is becoming just as important as knowing the field itself. It's the same in architecture, too. Like, we learn how to use Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper, which are AI-supported tools. You still have to tell it what you are wanting, though, making it more of an assistant. So, AI is changing the way people work but not completely taking over jobs? Yeah, it's more of a shift. I think the main thing, really, is our adaptability. We as humans can adapt to new technology, but those who refuse to learn it are the ones who will be left behind and could lose their jobs. You really just have to be willing to learn. You know what's funny to think about? What? We're scared of AI taking our jobs, yet we're the ones making it. It's like the turn we're going to lose. But with us being the ones to make it, it sort of proves how AI can't do anything without human input. All the data it uses comes from us. So, it's not a monster taking over. It's more of a reflection of what we make. That's true, but I do think there could be a danger if we become too dependent on it. Like, if we stop learning how to critically think or problem-solve because we use AI to do it, then it could replace us. Yeah, it's meant to make us more efficient, not lazy. But aren't we currently using it so we don't have to do the work? Doesn't that mean we are currently using it to be lazy? I suppose, but I also think if we have this fear of being replaced, then we want to learn more and be better at our jobs so we don't end up being replaced. It kind of becomes survival of the smartest. But I'm being serious, though. I think in science, those who know how to work with AI will end up doing the cutting-edge research while others get stuck doing the leftover work. Same with architecture. Those who know how to incorporate AI into their process will design a lot faster and more efficiently. But like I said earlier about being lazy, if we rely on it too much, then your designs will lose character. It really just becomes about balance, then? Yeah, balance is key. Although I did not agree with AI in the workplace to begin, I think now it's not all that bad. I think AI could help make some jobs more interesting. If we don't have to focus on the boring repetitive tasks, we can then focus on the more meaningful and creative parts of jobs. Yeah, it gives us more time to focus on the human part of our jobs, the things AI can't understand. So the takeaway is that AI will change the way people work but not completely replace us as we are still needed to do our jobs? Exactly. It can make us more efficient but also challenge us to be more creative and emotionally intelligent. Yeah, it won't destroy the workplace, just evolve it. I think we're seeing right now a new beginning of AI playing a bigger part in our lives. Well, right now, we don't know what will happen because this is all new and uncharted territory. So for now, we can just sit back and be students. Thanks for listening. Thank you for listening. Well, thank you for listening to our podcast. This is the Artificial Intelligence Gang signing out. Bye. So I guess the big takeaway from the conversation today is that AI is still evolving and we still need technical skills, logic, and empathy. But we can learn to use AI as a tool in our respective fields that will help us not get replaced by AI but instead excel beyond AI's capabilities.