AI: Friend or Foe to Workers?

2023 will mark the widespread adoption ofArtificial Intelligence.

At least, that is what many professionals agree on, given the various trends that are beginning to emerge: open source, generative AI, specific regulations on the subject…

Proof of this is that today almost everyone has heard of ChatGPT, and prevention and detection systems have already been put in place to prevent certain types of fraud.

The fact that Google and Microsoft have decided to launch their own chatbots only confirms that AI has a bright future ahead of it.

Don’t believe the myths

Artificial intelligence is often perceived as a threat to humanity or to jobs because of its association with science fiction movies such as “The Terminator” or “I, Robot.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In today’s digital age, where billions of data points are generated every day, AI should actually be viewed as a suite of tools that can help solve problems more quickly and instantly interpret complex data—once the right questions have been asked and the tool has been properly configured.

A valuable tool for workers that will simply analyze large amounts of data more quickly than a human could.

We can easily draw an analogy with farming a century ago. Back then, farmers cultivated small plots of land using the tools they had available, such as plows and spades. Later, as technology advanced, tools evolved, making it possible to cultivate thousands of hectares with less effort.

Technological advances have been designed to ease the burden on human labor, not to replace it.

AI must be adapted to a company’s business, not the other way around

Of course, certain professions and industries will be better suited than others to adopting this technology.

Let’s take the example of companies that process large amounts of data about their customers and operations.AI and ERP systems are now working together to deliver real added value by providing accurate insights, proactive recommendations, and analyses much faster than manual processing.

Instead of replacing workers, AI can support them in their work by helping them understand complex data.

Let’s take this line of reasoning a step further with the example of a baker. At first glance, a baker won’t need AI right away. His expertise is irreplaceable: flour and yeast are living substances, too variable and unpredictable to be controlled by artificial intelligence.

But if it ever needs to process large volumes of data about its customers or operations, then AI will undoubtedly offer added value.

It is quite conceivable that payment technology will evolve to make transactions more secure and convenient, thereby freeing up the attention of both the customer and the sales associate.

The central system will become increasingly intelligent as business applications diversify: remote order management, inventory management, purchasing, e-commerce site management, hygiene and traceability procedures, consumer information (ingredients, allergens), sales recommendations, etc.

The user experience at the point of sale and the integration of digital tools will then be at the heart of innovation, thereby enriching the customer relationship.

Humanity still has a bright future ahead of it

It’s perfectly understandable that certain job categories are worried about their future. But rather than panicking, let’s see this as an opportunity to learn new skills so we can bring that human touch that no artificial intelligence has yet.

In 2019, the OECD stated that: “Only 14% of existing jobs are at risk of complete automation, not nearly 50% as other research suggests.” Furthermore, 32% of jobs could “undergo significant changes” without necessarily disappearing.

Today, there remains a huge gap to bridge before we can achieve AI that is comparable to human intelligence, particularly in terms of the ability to understand the contexts of interactions between individuals and/or with objects. That is why integrating these new technologies with a strategic approach is essential for effectively managing a business and keeping pace with changes in the world of work.

AI is and will remain the result of a software architecture (type of neural networks, number of layers, learning methods, etc.) derived from human logic.

The development of AI is not intended to work against humans, because we will always need people to ask the right questions and make the most of the work done by these artificial intelligences.

It is therefore important to understand its added value now and to use it strategically to support employees’ work and help them grow, rather than to replace them.

This op-ed by Davy Tessier, founding CEO of Furious, can be found in Forbes.

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