News Corporation Australia reported on October 10th that the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing every aspect of life, with the workplace likely to be the first to be affected.
A technology expert predicts that soon, certain professions may disappear, or at least no longer require human labor to be completed.
A report released by the World Economic Forum last year stated that within the next three years, AI technology will lead to the disappearance of approximately 26 million jobs.
Associate Professor Niusha Shafiabady from the Australian Catholic University has modeled predictions for the three industries most affected by AI, which are education and healthcare services, professional and commercial services, and leisure and catering industries.
Shafiabady pointed out that among the professions that are about to disappear, the position of secretaries in the education field may be replaced by AI "relatively quickly." In addition, librarians and teachers who teach extracurricular courses (such as music) also face risks.
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"These jobs can be completed by computer programs equipped with cameras. Taking children to a 30-minute music class after school might be troublesome. If you are a parent and have an alternative, you might accept it."
"Computer programs can demonstrate how to play to your child, teach principles, and correct mistakes while they practice, which will be simpler and possibly cheaper."
AI may render librarians obsolete, as their tasks (managing the borrowing and returning of materials, providing suggestions for useful resources, and even insights brought by vast knowledge) can be easily replicated by AI.In the health services sector, Shafiabady predicts that the position of clinic receptionists is the most susceptible to being replaced by programs and computers. In addition, professions such as dietitians, speech therapists, and personal fitness trainers are also at risk.
"The work of all these professions can be performed by computers equipped with cameras and intelligent programs, based on the same principle as the example of music teachers."
In the professional and commercial services sector, customer service representatives and fast-food workers face the greatest risk, as do sales personnel.
In the United States, major fast-food chains have begun piloting the use of artificial intelligence voice assistants to replace manual ordering at drive-thru windows. Previously, an Australian expert stated that it is only a matter of time before similar technology is adopted in Australia.
Shafiabady said that another profession at risk is public relations professionals.
"Artificial intelligence algorithms have the capability to replicate these tasks."
"For example, managing communication to enhance an organization's public image, and objectively targeting different groups based on received input instructions, to help promote an organization or client."
The same principle also applies to targeted sales representatives.
Shafiabady said: "If an artificial intelligence program can access the historical records of (customer) activities, it will understand each person's preferences better than humans, and thus be able to intelligently target product sales to specific groups."Finally, in the leisure and hospitality industry, hotel concierges may become a thing of the past, as artificial intelligence can perform the vast majority of tasks.
Looking for dinner suggestions in the city you're visiting? Want to purchase tickets for a theater performance? Lost and in need of simple directions?
An artificial intelligence kiosk or even a robot can accomplish these tasks.
In the internet age, travel agents have already been significantly impacted, with easy-to-use and free booking portals as well as online shopping becoming the norm.
Shafiabady stated that the use of artificial intelligence will only accelerate the mass replacement of such jobs.
Similarly, the role of event planners may soon cease to exist.
"A computer program that has access to relevant data can retrieve and process information, then make decisions based on people's priorities, sometimes faster and more effectively than humans."
She said that those whose professions are most likely to be affected by artificial intelligence should start considering how to mitigate the risks."We should begin to engage in strategic thinking and learn future skills to protect ourselves. Our ancestors have also experienced many such changes, such as the Industrial Revolution, and now it is our turn to do the same."
Although some professions may seem temporarily safe, artificial intelligence will still have a broader impact.
A team from Massey University in New Zealand and the University of Queensland found that many companies have begun to use artificial intelligence to accelerate the recruitment process. Automated recruitment methods, such as automatic resume screening, have led to some applications being eliminated before they are even reviewed by humans.
Therefore, even job positions that cannot be replaced by technology may be affected to some extent due to the intervention of artificial intelligence in the initial recruitment stage.