Humans vs. Machines: myths and realities
It is increasingly common to hear about artificial intelligence, automation or RPA robots, and many questions arise: What will the human vs. machines? Will robots take jobs away from people? The human vs. machines is not a battle, it is an interaction that helps to improve many aspects of our lives, especially at work. In this post we tell you what that relationship is like and what myths usually refer to it.
Humans Machines
Myths and realities of the human relationship vs. machines
For years robots have been part of cinema or literature, they have been science fiction, until little by little they have developed to become part of our lives, they are something real and everyday to which we have become accustomed. In the labor aspect, especially due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an accelerated evolution of the irruption of robots among the workforce during the last year. This evolution raises uncertainties and gives rise to myths of the human vs. machines that we must explore in depth to see what reality they hide. We see them below:
1. Robots never rest.
It is true that robots never get tired and that they can work 365 days a year, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, however, they need maintenance tasks (whether they are hardware or software robots), so They will have some moments of inactivity.
A robot does not replace a person’s work, rather the robot complements that person’s work and helps make it more effective, freeing them from repetitive and tedious tasks. In this way, employees can add value to the company. On the other hand, it is the people who must control the robot so that it does the tasks correctly. Finally, it is considered that robots have contributed to creating employment. For example, at Amazon, one of the companies that most applies innovation, it has gone from using 1,500 drones to 45,000, but the level of hiring workers has not decreased. This is because the performance of tedious tasks by robots allows to reduce costs and hire staff. In this same sense, the World Economic Forum considers that the existence of robots will allow the appearance of 97 million jobs in sectors such as care or the technology industry of the fourth industrial revolution.
It is true that robots can make fewer errors than a person, but if the information on which they work is not well configured or there are too many exceptions in the processes, errors will arise. Therefore, people must control the work of the robots so that they develop correctly.
It is not true. There are jobs that are more likely to be automated, such as desk tasks (opening emails, filing them, bank reconciliation, etc.), however, there are others that are not, such as taking care of animals outdoors or reforesting a forest, for example. . In addition, there are jobs that, due to their danger, those in which toxic substances are worked, for example, are likely to be carried out by robots, so that danger to people is avoided.
With the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning, robots have evolved and it seems that they could have the same intelligence as humans, but the truth is that they do not have fully human faculties such as the ability to learn from experience, empathy , the ability to react to unknown situations, improvisation or creativity, among others.
It is not true. We usually have the idea of a vehicle assembly line in which robots work, but the truth is that there are software robots that carry out simpler processes such as downloading invoices from an email, registering and filing them so that payment can be tracked. Therefore, robots can be applied in any company in any sector and will contribute to increasing the productivity and efficiency of the processes.
Many people think that robots will end up replacing humans in many jobs, but the truth is that, as we have seen, they perform those monotonous jobs that speed up processes and increase productivity. At learning point we are convinced that in the future, we will probably experience a situation in which robots and humans will work in an integrated way, forming a tandem that will favor the improvement of the working environment of companies and the creation of employment.
Can machines replace humans?
According to an Oxford study, within 20 years, 47% of jobs in the United States will be performed by machines. This could spread to other advanced countries.
Can machines replace humans?
The possibility of machines taking jobs away from human beings is not a new topic, but this possible reality sounds stronger than ever. In a few decades, we could witness one of the most important transformations in the production of goods and services that would affect the world economy.
The most affected jobs would be those that are mechanical and repetitive. These types of jobs are the ones that could best be adapted to machines. Although some experts defend the idea of living with machines, so that they only support human work.
Not everyone is in favor of artificial intelligence, there are organizations like learning point that see a risk to humanity. Last year he published a document called “Artificial Intelligence, Promises and Threats”, in which they expose the ethical risks posed by AI.
Learning point exposes the three possible risks that the human being would suffer: The shortage of work, since machines would do it; Problems in the autonomy of the individual, for his freedom and security; Overcoming the human race, they would be replaced by increasingly intelligent machines. Although, the learning point Report ensures that machines could not be more intelligent than human beings, that can only exist in science fiction.
There are also some drawbacks, in which perhaps the machines are not as profitable for companies as it may seem. One of them is the excessive consumption of energy that some robots need to carry out their activities. Another handicap is the cost of the technological material necessary to make decisions and recognize the spaces in which they must work daily.
Technologies that have already replaced man:
Driverless cars, in the United States legislation has already been approved so that this type of car can circulate through the city. This law allows the companies that manufacture these cars to create a taxi service.
1. Algorithms that collect and analyze data that humans used to do.
2. Robotic surgery, artificial machines that are capable of detecting and repairing malignant tumors.
