The Coming AI Revolution and How You Can Protect Yourself!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” parallax=”content-moving” el_class=”landing_page short” css=”.vc_custom_1525461477204{padding-bottom: 50px !important;background: #d8edfd url(https://www.crushthestreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/aireport-bg-light.jpg?id=16020) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_row parallax=”content-moving” parallax_speed_bg=”2.0″][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1522707261868{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.95) !important;*background-color: rgb(255,255,255) !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1525460079050{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]It began as pure science-fiction, most notably in the 1927 film “Metropolis,” but evolving rapidly since Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Artificial Intelligence, or commonly abbreviated as AI, has been the focal point of the international community’s research and development endeavors. Indeed, we are coming closer to an age where AI is the given, everyday reality.At this juncture, we are no longer discussing whether or not AI will radically transform our societies and our industries; this, for better or for worse, is an inevitability. The question, rather, is who will shape our digital paradigm, and to what end purpose will they serve? Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of innocent semantics as the inquiry raises severe ethical dilemmas.
The nature impulse is the assumption that AI will serve an economic purpose, that many of our current mundane jobs will be replaced with robotic technology. But on the other end of the scale, AI has tremendous implications for the military industrial complex. Essentially, whichever nation leads and controls AI will have undisputed hegemonic powers.
That’s a sobering thought for Americans, who are behind the curve in the AI race. Moreover, our multiple foreign policy “incursions” have created numerous and powerful enemies. America’s geopolitical standing has weakened substantially during President Obama’s administration, but our present policy doesn’t appear much better – we are still fighting bankers’ wars.
But the ultimate consternation is that in many critical ways, the AI revolution has already begun. Even worse, it’s going to impact your livelihood sooner rather than later.
Work and Careers Redefined by Robotics
According to CrushTheStreet.com, 50% of current occupations could be either replaced or threatened with AI technology. All the more sobering is that this forecast has a timeline within this decade.
At first glance, that may appear like fear-mongering conjecture: how can half the workforce be replaced with non-human entities? Yet by taking this understandable sentiment, we ignore critical details in our everyday lives.
For instance, when was the last time you went to a physical store to buy a consumer-electronic product? While you may have shopped at Best Buy, chances are, you’ve done an increasing amount of shopping at e-commerce platforms like Amazon. And although a real courier came to deliver your purchase, this last vestige of the human retail experience should no longer be taken for granted.
Amazon has notably experimented with the idea of using drones to deliver packages. Moreover, the e-commerce giant is taking control of its distribution process with their “Shipping with Amazon” program. Upon this announcement, the publicly-traded shares of UPS and FedEx tumbled in the markets. How long before the entire distribution channel is completely automated?
Tesla seems to provide a shockingly quick answer. Although the embattled automaker has experienced severe setbacks with recent Autopilot accidents and fatalities, they’re investing significant R&D funds into their future trucking business. If AI-driven passenger cars become a reality, so too will the commercial transportation sector.
In other words, you can kiss humans goodbye.
Though the AI revolution sounds harshly draconian, it matters which job sector will be cut. While most people will focus on the 50% forecast, that may be a generous assessment for low-wage, menial occupations. In sectors such as cleaning and fast-food preparation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 90% workforce reduction, or perhaps worse.
According to CBInsights, cooks and servers face the highest risk from automation, followed by cleaners. However, movers and warehouse workers shouldn’t rejoice: they round out the top-three most endangered jobs. The only person necessary is a manager to ensure that the automated technology is running smoothly.
As is patently obvious, lack of education and poor motivation are absolute liabilities within the digitalized and automated economy. More so than ever, people need to develop skills and a mindset that’s relevant to this inevitability.
To better prepare you for the coming radical changes brought on by AI, here are five steps that you can take for maximum success!
Start Your Own Business
Branching out on your own has always been the best answer for financial success and independence. However, with AI technologies becoming more prevalent, and replacing more occupations, there has never been a better time to consider starting your own business.
That’s because no matter how advanced AI technology becomes, its power lies in the ability to quantify. Note that many of the key buzzwords, such as “quants” or “quantum computing,” utilize the aforementioned word’s root definition. AI is a number’s game; however, human intelligence is more than just numbers.
This applies to the entrepreneurial spirit. To deflect the negative impact of AI on the workforce, I would consider a business in an area that AI would find challenging, such as corporate accounting. While machines have taken over the personal income tax preparation (ie. Form 1040EZ) role, corporate tax is another dimension.
Because accounting requires a unique blend of quantitative and qualitative skillsets, this is a field that will likely survive the AI revolution.
Focus on the Theory of STEM
Currently, the American education system is pushing STEM – science, technology, engineering, and math. While their efforts are certainly appreciated, future workers must be aware of the granularity of this situation. It is far better to focus on the theory of STEM, not necessarily its application.
The irony of STEM education is that these sectors are responsible for the very job displacement that we’re seeing, and will continue to see. And though low-income workers will be disproportionately affected, don’t fall into the trap that only this subcategory will face economic hardships. In reality, many high-tech workers will be joining them in the unemployment line.
What good is it, for instance, that you’re an expert at calculus? We already have machines that can run the most convoluted equations at lightning speed. Furthermore, what good is the brightest engineer? AI technology can run a brute-force attack in solving a problem, coming up with the absolute, most efficient way to address an engineering challenge.
Instead, the new economy will need creative, outside-the-box thinkers. That’s what I mean by the theory of STEM: it’s not about doing fast, but about approaching a problem in a different way.
BAs are No Longer BS
Another great irony in this coming automated economy will be the prominence of the liberal arts degree. Computers can generate soundwaves through a random selection of predefined ranges and frequencies; however, what computer, no matter how advanced, can create music?
While I have no doubt that current AI technologies can routinely beat out chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, how many computers can rival the artistry and sheer beauty of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Perhaps we may one day approach that line where technology blurs the distinction between science and the arts.
But until that day comes – and it may not come for quite some time – there’s an opportunity for the creative thinker. Abstraction has never been a strength of AI, let alone standard computer technology. The digital world is dominated by the binary code, a series of ones and zeroes. It performs the whats, it does not ask the whys.
In the future, we will need human rationality to guide AI technologies towards ethically-sound endeavors. Furthermore, tomorrow’s computer and AI engineers may call upon the “qualitatively gifted” to enhance technology beyond the purely mathematical and logical.
Invest in Tomorrow
One of the easiest, and most straightforward ways to thrive in the automated era is to invest in it; specifically, consider companies that are developing AI technologies, or are harnessing it for practical applications.
Amazon immediately comes to mind because of its disruptive aggressiveness and forward-thinking strategies. However, the list expands significantly, from relatively mundane companies like IBM and Microsoft, to several emerging, up-and-coming names.
Additionally, investors should look into defense contractors. As mentioned previously, AI has strong implications for the military industrial complex, and companies like Raytheon are on the cutting edge. Should we win the war in AI and quantum computing dominance, defense contractors will have soared through the roof.
Also, use the present weakness and uncertainty in the stock market to your advantage. Forget about striking it rich in speculative names; instead, seek out well-established blue-chip tech stocks that are offered on discount.
Embrace the Change
Change is a binary inevitability. It will happen, and we only have two choices when confronted with it: adapt or die.
With AI firmly in the mix, we will see phenomenal differences in our demographics. For starters, the much-vaunted Hispanic population surge will quickly shutter. Without manual labor opportunities and almost zero incentive to hire illegal aliens, Central America immigration will be almost non-existent. Without jobs, what’s the point of coming here?
Rather than teaching Spanish, American schoolteachers that know C++, Python, or any number of computer languages will be in extremely high demand. Instead of translators, you will instead see the rise of IT tech support specialists.
Yes, you will see remarkable changes, some of which will hurt. You may lose friends, neighbors, even your job you worked so hard for. But in its place is an opportunity, one that comes along once in a lifetime.
You can accept it, and profit from it, or you can engage in a battle of futility. The choice is yours.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Prosperous Regards,
Kenneth Ameduri
Chief Editor, CrushTheStreet.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]