Daily Times

This century belongs to the advancement of technology. The technology of the present era baffles human beings with its wonderful services. Invention of machines with an association of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are the products of technology. These days amenities provided by AI are invaluable. One couldn’t contemplate in the past that one would make visible contact with one’s dear ones sitting in far-flung areas. Now even a low-income citizen can make video contact-a widespread phenomenon-withhis relatives or friends.Theexample that I have cited is a very ordinary one of the services provided by technology.

However, with the rise in technologically sophisticated machines, coupled with AI and automation, there is an imminent hazard of growing unemployment. The concerned debate revolves around the pivot that is this idea paranoia or is it categorically conquering the prospects of human employment.

Before examining the effects of technology, let’s discuss what brought about advancement in technology to such a great extent.The answer to this question is globalisation. It is globalisation that has helped in the propagation of technology at a wide scale. Interconnectivity among countries and relaxed trade conditions-some of the outcomes of globalisation-have allowed manufactured tech-products from the developed world to reach developing and under-developing world.Now the question emanates whether the rampant advancement in technology is contributing to unemployment or not.

The advancement in technology has enlarged the invention of robots with the help of automation and AI. There is no denying that robots can perform activities and tasks with ample accuracy and efficiency than human beings. However, the rise of robots has led to some scary warnings about the future of work. These warnings have brought forth the growing risks of unemployment. A recent study foundthat up to 0.7 million jobs were lost to robots in the US from 1990 to 2007. This dilemma doesn’t start from the 1990s as it began when the Industrial Revolution caught momentum during the late 19th century.

The World Economic Forum predicts that millions of jobs will be lost to robots by 2020. The Industrial Revolution brought ease for humans, but it is also important to mention that each invention came at a cost for humans. Let’s take the example of bronze’s arrival; stones tools were replaced, and when iron tools were made, workers who used bronze tools lost their job. With industrial advancement, millions of cobblers and weavers’ jobs were put at stake. They had to endeavour a lot to keep pace with the ever-advancing technology.

Our daily routine jobs are getting automated. One prime illustration is the introduction of live railway tracking software in Pakistan Railways, which has provided passengers with unmatched comfort as they don’t have to wait for hours. They just track the train on their mobiles and reach the station on time. However, jobs of many inquiry providers havebeen affected because of this technology. Another example is ATM-Automated Teller Machine-whichhas replaced the job of scores of bankers.

Seven in ten Americans, six in ten Canadians, and six in ten UK residents believe the advent of artificial intelligence will eliminate more jobs than it creates

There isample evidence that the rise in AI and automated appliances have affected human jobs. Various reports published by prestigious institutions shed light on the effects on jobs due to rise in AI technology. McKinsey reckons tha depending upon various adoption scenarios, automation will displace between 400 and 800 million jobs by 2030, requiring as many as 375 million people to switch job categories entirely. According to Oxford Economics, up to 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide will be lost to robots by 2030.

There is another impact of technology that can affect our jobs by increasing the demand for labour in industries or jobs that arise or develop due to technological progress. The World Economic Forum says that automation will displace 75 million jobs but generate 133 million new ones worldwide by 2022. According to Gartner, AI-related job creation will reach two million net-new jobs in 2025.AI is creating “a surge in new career opportunities,” says a ZipRecruiter report.A recent Gallup and Northeastern University online survey of 4,394 Americans, 3,049 Canadians and 3,208 UK adults found mixed attitudes towards AI, reflecting the mix of apocalyptic and human-friendly scenarios.There is a general pessimistic attitude about the impact of AI adoption on the overall economy, but adults in the US, UK and Canada remainoptimistic about their own jobs.Seven in ten Americans, six in ten Canadians, and six in ten UK residents believe the advent of artificial intelligence will eliminate more jobs than it creates.

It is obvious that rampant use of technology can cause reduction in employment and can also boost it. But the need of the hour is to harness the opportunities that are practical for supporting the employment sector. For this purpose, government needs to take steps that boost employment.One of the best ways to fight redundancy created by technology is to provide the masses opportunities to gain technical and updated education.

Human beings are the supreme creatures, adorned with an intellectual power that no technology can replace. Technology is the upshot of human efforts. Humans create machines, it is not machines that create humans. Machines are operated and controlled by human beings. However, the current chaos in employment is the result of miscalculation of the rise in technology. If the problems in jobs created by automation are addressed in due time, technology will create employment prospects. And if the issues are not addressed,it would create a void in the area of employment.

The writer is a freelancer