Robotisation of Knowledge and Service Work

Question 1

What is AI?

Answer 1

Development of computers to engage in human-like thought processes such as learning, reasoning and self-correction.

Question 2

What is Machine Learning?

Answer 2

Field of computer science that gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.
Systems learning by repetition and feedback of outcome.
Supervised - Learning from past patterns.
Unsupervised - LEarning through trial and error.
Can be a combination of both.

Question 3

What can an AI age be compared too?

Answer 3

Automation of factory work in the 19 the 19th century.
Workers moved to a higher ground.
Dramatically affected a society which was previously safe from learning.
However, this tech did not have the ability to learn without human intervention/

Question 4

What is being debated?

Answer 4

Extent of which AI will takeover the workplace.

How many new jobs will AI create.

Question 5

Give some statistics on potential job disruption because of AI.

Answer 5

Frey and Osborne estimated 47% of jobs could be eliminated in the US.
Bank of England suggested 15 million UK jobs could be lost because of automation.
Arntz found that only 9% of jobs were potentially automatable.
However, history shows new tech creates new jobs and new demands.

Question 6

What are the fears for AI?

Answer 6

Superintelligence, Robot overlords (Skynet scenario), jobless future, Wall-E dystopia.

Question 7

What are the hopes for AI?

Answer 7

Humanity unbound and amplified, AI-Human partnership, New scientific age.

Question 8

What is Availability Bias?

Answer 8

The giving of preference by decision makers to information and events that are more recent and memorable to further fuel an argument. (Fuel skynet/dystopia debate).

Question 9

What is availability cascade?

Answer 9

A collection of beliefs which are triggered like a chain reaction by a prompt giving an argument unreasonable plausibility in public discourse.
e.g. AI associated with terminator scenarios, job loss etc.

Question 10

What are the 3 main robot applications in the knowledge and service sector?

Answer 10

Robot assisted work.
Service robots.
Robot Process Automation(RPA).

Question 11

What is robot assisted work?

Answer 11

Use of robots to help humans undertake tasks or procedures.
Higher degree of accuracy or performance than human alone.
e.g. assisted surgery.

Question 12

What are service robots?

Answer 12

Robots that provide assistance to humans to complete a physical task.

Question 13

What is RPA?

Answer 13

Automation of a process where a human:
Takes in a lot of electronic data.
Processes the data based upon rules.
Adds data.
Enters this data into a new system.

Question 14

Give a 5 examples of knowledge jobs that are potentially automatable:

Answer 14

Teacher/Professor (online courses etc.).
Accountants (automated audits and tax etc.).
Radiologist (automated cancer detection).
Financial advisors ('robo-advisors').
Pharma scientists (machine learning and simulation drugs).

Question 15

What does Davenport think about Automation?

Answer 15

Many knowledge jobs are at risk but these systems will likely need some human overwatch so may need e.g. 8 lawyers instead of 10.
Productivity gains will mean money for retraining.

Question 16

How did Davenport and Kirby recommend avoiding an automated job?

Answer 16

1. Step up (management likely to be better at big picture compared to a computer).
2. Step aside (computers are less irrational/creative).
3. Step in (understand the systems so you can overwatch).
4. Step narrow (specialise in something computers cannot yet do).
5. Step forward (build the next gen of smart machines).

Question 17

What are the pros of automation?

Answer 17

Increased productivity.
Increased accuracy.
Faster processing.
Reduced costs.
Staff training in more engaging work.
Save money.

Question 18

What are the cons of automation?

Answer 18

Loss of knowledge.
Responsibility of robots action?
Reliance on tech.
Loss of experience for entry level workers.