The idea of lifelike robots entering our daily lives is the stuff science fiction movies are made of. As time has passed, those stories have become more plausible. Now, many have legitimate concerns regarding whether or not artificial intelligence, or A.I., may threaten their livelihoods one day. And that day may be sooner than later.
In fact, the Pew Research Center believes that A.I. and robotics will be a major part of our lives by the year 2025. Before you decide to change career fields to avoid the robot invasion, take a real look at how nervous you should be about the increasing use of A.I.
A.I. Replicating the Human Experience
Within the tech world, auto-responders have made significant strides across the landscape. Instead of being limited to a few basic permutable questions and canned responses, these technologies can now act more intuitively. They can learn from each request, and query wider ranges of data looking for a suitable response. One day, this technology may be ready to stand in for support services currently performed by people.
For example, instead of a person having to run through a script of troubleshooting questions and steps, an A.I. interface could handle that task. In some cases, these auto-responders, referred to as bots, can perform advanced analysis to help find an ideal solution. The problem is, they are not perfect yet.
In fact, many are still considered very simple. Advanced problem-solving and working with complex issues are often outside of their reach. The bots are programmed to perform specific functions, and work with a defined dataset, limiting their ability to connect issues that may have a cause outside of their programming. These current limitations prevent the bots from being as effective today as they would need to be.
People Need Doctors and A.I. Needs Support
While some tech support jobs may be eliminated by A.I. services in the future, those A.I. systems will require technical assistance to function properly. Instead of having tech professionals answering the phones and providing tier one customer support, they may only work with clients on advanced issues, including troubleshooting and repairing the A.I.
Instead of eliminating technical support positions, it is more likely these professionals will evolve to meet the demands of the changing technological world. Initially, tech professionals may be performing double duty, as starting efforts to implement A.I. services may not work smoothly.
Additionally, some customers may have an aversion to using the A.I. option, keeping the demand for a human interaction high. As services begin to transition between the two paradigms, this could cause the demand for technical support personnel to increase, to ensure there is enough support personnel to meet the needs of customers and A.I. support.
Is it possible A.I. will eliminate certain positions from the job market we know today? Sure, it is. But along with that shift comes the demand for new professionals to manage the new systems, developing a new sector to replace the one being operated by A.I. As long as professionals are willing to adapt, they can follow the field to its new pastures and continue working.
If you are looking for new job opportunities within the IT career field, contact ITStaff and see how they can help you find your next position.
