Just in case you haven’t heard, the world is going artificial intelligence mad and it has a lot of Aussies worried that one day, robots might just take our jobs. So, what is Artificial Intelligence? (or AI for all those tech heads out there). The technical definition of Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.
Now that all sounds a bit futuristic but AI is already being implemented throughout Australia. In fact, nine out of 10 Australian businesses have deployed some sort of AI and Google’s digital assistant just figured out how to make voice calls to book a restaurant reservation and a haircut. In a sort of creepy display, the robot even managed to add a few “umm” and “mhhms” to make it sound more human. Next thing you know we’ll have cars that drive themselves!
How Will AI Affect You?
A common worry that most Aussie’s have is whether one day their jobs will become redundant thanks to AI. A whopping 57% believe that AI and automation could threaten their current jobs and sadly it turns out that it’s not an unfounded concern. Around 40% of businesses admit to eliminating positions because of advances in AI. Although all hope is not lost, those same businesses also said that they would help retrain employees in new areas if their job security was negatively impacted by AI.
Just How Safe is AI?
As we look towards a robot-filled future there are of course concerns regarding safety and privacy. In the short time that autonomous vehicles have been on the road there has already been a fatal accident when the self-driving car did not detect a pedestrian. Accidents like these raise concerns about whether a robot should be able to have a human’s life in their hands (not literally, obviously robots don’t have hands). Would you feel comfortable having open heart surgery performed by a robot? Would you happily book a plane ticket if you knew instead of a pilot in the cockpit, it was all artificial intelligence?
Privacy concerns have been an issue since we started logging our information into computers but with the advancement of AI, the real problem is who or what has access to our personal information. 52% of Aussie’s worry about their information falling into the wrong hands and the fact that government agencies might be tracking citizens.
It’s Not All Bad Though!
Australian’s might be worried about robots tracking us and AI making us jobless, but it turns out as a whole we feel pretty good about letting technology make medical decisions for us. Six in 10 Aussies would like to see a development of systems that help doctors pick the right medication for patients. Once the kinks are smoothed out the possibilities that AI brings can hopefully create a safer and more convenient world.
