The Technological Imperative

Throughout my participation in this 16-week course, I noted one major takeaway: technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is the future. It is no longer a matter of what, but rather when. The technological advancement in recent times is unprecedented. Once the shift begins, there will be little to stop the takeover. Automization is creeping into all aspects of life. Tasks normally distributed to man will be soon replaced. Jobs in medicine, business, manufacturing, intelligence, even agriculture will no longer be the work of humans. Companies like Amazon have already begun fully automated, robot-controlled warehousing. The reason is simple: robots are both far more accurate and efficient than humans; there is no human error with a robot. Why pay for fallible humans when machines can do better for less. The breakthroughs in machine learning have changed what a robot means in its traditional sense. Machine learning entails algorithms that enable technology to study trends from data, predict, and act accordingly. Something that vaguely resembles the slower learning process of a human.

Broadly speaking, AI is programming that gives machines the ability to analyze data and solve problems the way a human could, but faster and possibly more accurately. An article on Deloitte.com sums artificial intelligence perfectly stating, " AI is concerned with getting computers to do tasks that would normally require human intelligence".  Before machines were largely responsible for automating tasks like bottling soda or sewing a shirt. Today, machines are attaining higher levels of sophistication that allow them to automate not only tasks but entire processes. Although a machine-dependent world is still far in the making, recent advancements in AI technology have proven that AI will quickly dominate moving forward.

This insightful report by Mckinsey states, "We estimate that between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world... Of the total displaced, 75 million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills." Obviously, these numbers are particularly scary. In less than 15 years, automation will cause one of the greatest social disruptions in history.
However, because of the efficiency of machines consumption and spending will too increase. As chapter 4 of Technological Innovation mentions, when technology is proliferated across several industries, a technological revolution is likely to fuel an economic expansion. If GDP increases, jobs are sure to follow. Traditional occupations will dramatically shift. A surgeon will no longer operate with a team but rather with assistance from a machine and video capsule. A small construction company will downsize from a force of 20 to 3 employees and 10 machines.  Lower skilled work will be the first to fully automate. Skills in labor, software, and even writing will be first to go. With many existing skills becoming obsolete, people will be forced to enter different fields and obtain more relevant skills. Programming, machine learning, leadership, and creative skills will be particularly in demand.

Chapter one of Technological Innovation  states,"The basis for our modern age, characterized by so many new technologies and rapid technological progress, is the science base of modern technologies-scientific technology." Scientific technology is unique from traditional technology because it is defined by its process of manipulating nature. This means the scientific technology can be good or bad depending on how nature is exploited.

As the world dives into a technological revolution, the need for ethical guidelines has become imperative. The question becomes: To what end will humans chase "progress"?  Nuclear warfare, internal tracking chips, and fully autonomous robots are definitely advancements, but at what cost? It is clear that the creation of such dangerous weapons only leads to destruction. The constant surveillance of large corporations is at the expense of privacy, a basic human right. Companies like Google, Facebook, and other telecommunication companies are publically known to track internet history and location. The most frightening of all is robots, with the ability to make autonomous decisions. This means machines can become so sophisticated that they can very well gain power beyond human control. While it seems far-fetched and something out of a Sci-Fi TV show, these issues have industry giants like Elon Musk worried. Just recently, in this article from March, Elon warned, "And mark my words, AI is far more dangerous than nukes. Far. So why do we have no regulatory oversight? This is insane." Just as he insists, there must be controls set because dangerous technology is being created. At a minute level, and largely due to recent events, I found our class discussing guns. The difference between automatic guns and a hand knife is that, like nukes, it was created for one purpose: death. A tool is determined by its purpose and nothing more or less. Thus it makes me wonder why is technology being created for reasons as such? How far will it continue to go? Who will protect people when large corporations are watching our every move? These are big considerations but at the very least we must dare to start asking questions.

Benedictine University: http://www.ben.edu/index.cfm
Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/index.cfm
Entrepreneurship: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfmz
ENT 320: http://www.ben.edu/college-of-business/undergraduate/entrepreneurship.cfm
Jodi Houlihan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodihoulihan/
Atiya Mahkri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atiya-mahkri/

AI Today

Chapter 3 from Surfing the Tsunami by Dr. Kelsey, covers the numerous ways artificial intelligence has proliferated into current business and consumer life. Here are some common AI advancements that affect daily life:

• Self-driving cars
• Companies like Google and Tesla have already produced largely self-driving cars. These cars have the ability to brake when objects are detected or adjust speed to outside traffic conditions. While these cars are not yet perfect, they are getting more advanced every day. Ultimately, they seek to reduce traffic, texting, and drunk driving accidents. According to NHTSA 94% of accidents are because of human error. AI is beneficial because it removes the majority of all human error.
• Ride-Sharing Apps
• Apps like Uber and Lyfe use algorithms that automatically adjust pricing and minimize wait time.
• Airplane AutoPilot
• Majority of airplanes flown today, especially Boeing built planes, primarily fly through autopilot. The average human steering is 7 minutes during a Boeing flight and typically from takeoff and landing.
• Computer Assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google.
• Use advanced voice recognition to connect to data stored on a cloud. These products are used to answer questions or obey commands. Although these too are not perfect, as they learn they are getting more and more accurate.
• SmartPhones
• Smartphones involve various types of AI technology. Face recognition, location-based suggestion, and predictive texting are some ways AI has crept into daily life. The picture below from BusinessInsider.com displays additional ways machine learning is used through smartphones:

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

The word artificial intelligence has been rampant recently; is it the future or just another buzzword? Broadly speaking, AI is programming that gives machines the ability to analyze data and solve problems the way a human could, but faster and possibly more accurately. This article on Deloitte.com sums artificial intelligence perfectly stating, " AI is concerned with getting computers to do tasks that would normally require human intelligence".  Before machines were largely responsible for automating tasks like bottling soda or sewing a shirt. Today, machines are attaining higher levels of sophistication that allow them to automate not only tasks but entire processes. AI entails machine learning which involves algorithms that allow computers to continuously improve or "learn" as it gathers more data. Examples of AI include advancements like Siri or self-driving cars. Smart machines, another form of AI, are robots with the ability to act independently from human input or intervention. This development of intellectually autonomous machines is already in progress.The science fiction movies are now moving away from being fiction and becoming a reality. Although a machine-dependent world is still far in the making, recent advancements in AI technology have proven that AI will quickly dominate moving forward.


According to Stanford's 100 Year Study on Artifical Intelligence, "Global revenues from AI for enterprise applications is projected to grow from $1.62B in 2018 to $31.2B in 2025 attaining a 52.59% CAGR in the forecast period." This projection proves the massive growth of AI and the effect it will have on the economy.  Robot imports into North America have increased by 150% percent over the past 15 years. In addition, from 2013 to 2015, the share of jobs requiring AI skills has increased by 4.5 times. AI research and investments for AI have increased immensely in the past few years. Although AI is sure to put many people out of jobs it will also boost the economy and eventually create jobs, particularly in the data and computer science fields. It is important to stay up-to-date on AI advancements and highly consider investing time into learning skills like coding and deep learning in order to stay relevant. 


Below is a useful infographic from innovec.com on the current dominant abilities of  AI and examples of how they are currently being used in our daily lives:

Artificial Intelligence

The article "Don't Delay, No one Can Say" really opened up my eyes to reality. I have always said that automated jobs were in our near future, but I did not realize how near they really were. There is no use in ignoring artificial intelligence, because it is the future whether or not I am ready for it. Personally, I find it incredibly uncomfortable knowing that robots will take on anywhere from manufacturer to manager to surgeon roles. It is also scary to think, that it is beyond my control, and that I have no choice but to become highly skilled or artificial intelligence will replace me. It is frightening to consider how fast and how drastically the job market and economy will shift. Globalization has already made individual economies complex. The more the world globalizes and the more advanced AI becomes, the changes will be immense. And I wholly agree, that the only way to deal with it is to prepare. We must become open to the change, accept it, and exploit it.

I took a Python class in high school for a semester and found it difficult, not to mention very boring. After it, I hoped that I would not have to delve in the language of computers anymore. However, after reading the article, I am motivated to give it another go. No doubt because I do, now, believe that I will end up learning it at some point in my life. So, I might as well learn programming skills now, knowing it will aid me in the long-run, and hopefully it will help me get a job now.

I have heard that the future will be less about majoring in a single field and more about earning certifications entailing current sought after skills. Then, as skills become obsolete new certifications will have to be met. In this, the job market will force people to continuously learn in order to be both relevant and in demand.  I guess its just another reality to get used to. Overall, this article and the subsequent articles referenced were enlightening. It is a future of uncertainty, but I believe it will be okay if we have the tools to navigate it.