A report on artificial intelligence published by scientists and economic advisers to President Barack Obama revealed that up to 47 percent of jobs in the United States are at risk of being taken over by the technology.
It is widely believed that artificial intelligence will have a massive impact on how we live our daily lives. While there are certainly benefits that will come from the widespread adoption of the technology, it might also soon have negative effects on the job market of the United States.
Artificial Intelligence, Automation, And The Economy
The federal report, titled Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Economy and officially published by the Executive Office of the President, is described as a work of the United States government that can be freely distributed.
The report claims that artificial intelligence and automation will have a positive effect on increasing productivity, which in turn promises significant potential for wealth gain. However, on the other side of the coin is that the technology presents a threat to current jobs, and could worsen the inequality between the wages of less-skilled workers and those of high-skilled employees.
Over recent decades, jobs that have already been lost by human workers to artificial intelligence include travel agents, filing clerks, switchboard operators, and assembly line workers. The technology is now currently on the brink of replacing drivers as well, as self-driving cars are being tested and self-driving trucks are being developed for long deliveries.
Is It Time To Panic For United States Workers?
While the claim is that artificial intelligence will eventually take over 47 percent of jobs in the United States, it will take decades for the transition to take place.
Over the next two decades, it is estimated that only 9 percent of jobs in the country are actually at risk from being lost to artificial intelligence. In addition, many of these jobs will only have automation take over repetitive tasks that workers accomplish on a daily basis, as opposed to workers being replaced entirely.
However, it should be noted that the continued development and adoption of artificial intelligence will eventually lead to the need for fewer humans in the workplace. Professional drivers and waiting staff are among the roles that will be the first to be affected once artificial intelligence gets to the point where it is ready to be widely deployed.
Human workers that will be affected by the adoption of artificial intelligence and automation, however, will be assisted through federal and state resources, which will need to focus on providing proper education and training to workforces in preparation and response to the advent of artificial intelligence.
