Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence will eliminate millions of jobs. It's inevitable. And while many of us are willing to accept that there are jobs that will be replaced by AI in our lifetime, we still believe in the lasting power of our own work. This is a mistake. It's not just trucking, assembly lines and blue collar jobs. In fact, AI will be replacing and drastically altering many jobs that few would consider routine. Chris Orlov from Gong IO shared a glimpse into the future of sales coaching the AI powered analysis of over 25,000 sales calls. Even if a sales coach listened to 45 minute sales calls for eight hours a day, it would take them nine years to analyze this data. It is impossible for any sales coach or manager to deliver this kind of insight. Marketing jobs are hardly any safer. Conde Nast is using Watson's incredible processing power to locate influencers for brands based on data that would take a human years to analyze. Graphic designers aren't being put out of work quite yet, but AIs are actively working on the ability to understand and categorize images. Last year, the next Rembrandt project used AI to analyze the 17th century master's work and 3D printed a new portrait. Intuitive and independent image creation isn't far off. At the moment, we're happy to outsource our scheduling to a virtual assistant, but but AI is on the verge of putting us all out of work. Is this really a bad thing? When someone says people need jobs, they are really saying people need a way to earn a livelihood. Up until now, the two were inseparable. If people were not working, value was not being created in the economy. But we're entering a time when this equation holds less and less truth. The future of AI job creation is one where we could all share in the value created by the machine laborers. Maybe that means fewer jobs and the rise of job sharing. Maybe that means shorter work weeks or basic incomes. Maybe it means no one ever having to do a job that they hate. Yet this is a very uncomfortable thought exercise for many of us. Imagining a world of no jobs or less work feels somehow wrong. But this can't be an excuse for ignoring the possible future. The question is, will we be active participants in thinking about and creating this new world? Or will we hold on to a fading notion that somehow, magically, our way of life will be safe? Care about this conversation. It is the future and it's being created right now.