English Podcast

The podcast discusses the pros and cons of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce. AI is defined as machines that can simulate human intelligence. It is expected to create new jobs, increase productivity and efficiency, and be cheaper than humans. However, there are concerns about the psychological effects of job loss, lack of social contact, and potential risks to mental and physical health. The speakers suggest that AI and humans can work together to enhance productivity and safety. The future of AI in the workforce is uncertain, but it is important to consider its impact carefully. Hey, this is Cole Johnson, Anna Jane Goode, and Elizabeth Stoner from the Amazing AI Experts podcast. In this episode, we will discuss the pros and cons of artificial intelligence in the workforce. Artificial intelligence is defined as a simulation of human intelligence processed by machines. In other words, the fires of making machines that can think like humans. It's become more and more prevalent to our society, so it's important to understand how it is going to affect us humans in the workplace. First, let's talk about the benefits of AI in the job industry. Many people fear losing jobs to AI, but it will create many new jobs. Just like the Industrial Revolution, where a lot of technology was being influenced in the workforce, AI is going to do the same thing and create many more jobs. According to the World Economic Forum, AI will cause the emergence of about 70 million rules globally, new ones. The article, How Does Artificial Intelligence Create New Jobs? states that creation of AI requires machine learning engineers, data scientists, and specialized researchers. It can open many new opportunities for non-traditional jobs like entrepreneurs. AI is more productive and efficient than humans. Unlike humans, AI has no outside factors that could hinder their abilities to efficiently do the job or task like humans. An example is ChatsDBT, which we all know has been on a constant rise among students. It is available 24-7, costs no money, and gets back to you in a single second. Humans and AI have different unique skills that work well together. Some skills that humans have include creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. AI skills include analyzing data, automation, and problem solving. The Nielsen Norman Group found that programmers who use AI could code about 130% more projects per week, and business professionals who use AI could write about 60% more business documents per hour. And lastly, companies would profit more as AI is much cheaper than humans. Although AI has the potential to aid humans in the workforce, the psychological effects are of far more significance than the assistance that it can provide us. It is replacing many human duties, including factory workers, cashiers, drivers, and more. Unemployment alone has many negative consequences, such as depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. According to the American Psychological Association, APA's 2023 Work in America survey results showed that nearly 4 out of 10 U.S. workers, or 38%, are worried AI may make some or all of their job duties obsolete in the future. Being unemployed as a result of technology can further these issues more. Unemployment as a result of being replaced by another human may be easier to accept, but what about when you lose your job to a machine? This can take a greater toll. Some people love their jobs and it gives them a sense of purpose. Without it, it can cause a huge blow to self-esteem and mental health. Working alongside AI is another area to discuss. The lack of social contact poses higher risks for mental and physical health problems. When people feel connected to their colleagues, it leads to higher motivation and being more engaged in their workplace, which leads to better production and overall well-being. Mental and even physical health issues related to this are a result of artificial intelligence in the workplace. I thought you wouldn't take that much of a toll on mental health. I also think that AI could be able to develop new jobs that were more closely linked with other people instead of working back and forth, so there would be more time for workers to have an emotional tie to maybe their customers or any other coworkers or anything. I think that's a valid point, but the ones who do have to work alongside AI will suffer from these things. But you're correct, the ones who get to engage with their customers and stuff, that may be more efficient in the long run, but it can be dangerous in other ways. Yeah, I wrote an article and it was like, with AI taking over more jobs, humans can focus on more human things. We won't have to be doing all this work, hunched over at a desk, whatever. We can be able to go outside, go get coffee, whatever. We'll have more work. Yeah, this has nothing to do with it, but I'm watching a show right now, and the world literally blew up because of AI. Oh, yeah. Just saying. I went to a restaurant and had an AI waiter actually once. Whoa. Really? Yeah. Have you ever seen those AI cleaners at Walmart? No, I've never seen that. You've never seen them? They're creepy. They're just like big machines that will scoot around the table. Yep. Sometimes they'll get stuck. Okay, moving on. Moving on. AI actually is not as new as people think. It's been around since the 80s. So I read an article that we had to read in class. So the author is David de Kramer and Gary Kasprov. Talk about how humans and AI can work together in a chess match. And he noted that, quote, the use of a PC allows them to focus more on strategic planning while the machine took care of the calculations, unquote. And this results in a notable enhancement in overall effectiveness and productivity since machines can execute specific functions quicker with minimal errors. So I'm not saying that AI should totally replace jobs. I'm not saying that we shouldn't have AI in general. I'm saying that if we kind of merge them together, it would enhance our productivity, how efficient we are, reduce the number of errors. And going on with errors, I actually used to work for the North Carolina Department of Transportation in human resources. And human resources basically gets everyone's problems that have been going on in the facility. And AI can really help with keeping risky work environments safe, like automated robots to carry out hazardous tasks. And it decreases the likelihood of accidents and injuries to human workers. It can also add more jobs to the industries. For people who are thinking of remote operation and telepresence, it's a main way that AI can improve safety in an industry. Operators can control robots or other machinery from a safe location, reducing the need for human presence in high-risk areas. Overall, AI can be very beneficial in the workforce, but we also must be aware of the psychological effects and the toll it can take on the human body and mind. It has many more effects other than just taking over the mundane tasks in the workplace. However, the use of AI is very new. We don't know what's going to happen pretty much in the future. We just got to play it out, got to see what's going to happen. Relating back to the industrial revolution, that's kind of a pathway that we can kind of predict how AI is going to be used in the future and what's going to happen. Thank you guys for coming to our talk. Thank you. Before we leave, leave it down in the comments what your thoughts about AI is and if you think they should be implemented in the workforce, and buy a premium subscription for $5 a month. Bye!