Are Robots Coming for Your Job? ‘Eventually, Yes’.
Headline of N.Y. Times Article
Would you like to see your favorite actor in a movie, TV program, or Netflix? Or, would a computer-generated facsimile of a similar actor work just as well for you? Or, at what point is the quality and illusion of reality good enough to entertain you?
Story: Acting and modeling jobs will be impacted by computer-generated facsimiles and robotics. Global production companies may consider the cost of ‘world class’ actors to be prohibitively expensive and unsafe due to social distancing restrictions not to mention dealing with prima donna behaviors. As well, world renowned models are no longer mannequins walking down the fashion runway. Models are global personalities and influencers. And, they’re expensive. What to do?
A current solution is: why not replace actors entirely with computer generated facsimiles? Just think about it? Producers and directors already are using computer generated imagery and avatars in place of actors in COVID time. In a few years, advanced avatars will replace actors and models as holograms look human and their voices have emotional resonance. At the same time, avatar models will walk down fashion runways. The observers on the side of the runway will be virtual participants viewing the show through virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. No social distancing and infection concerns.
Story: Your kid wants to go to Stanford Medical School to be a radiologist or other medical specialist. Your kid spent 16 years excelling in school, then 10 years in med school, residency, specialization, and board certification. Your kid is a geek not having spent time doing much else aside from studying. But, it was worth it.
With his medical specialization, he can make a half a million dollars (USD) a year. Great career planning! Great Risk Based Problem Solving and Risk Based Decision Making! Only one problem: Machine learning and artificial intelligence are getting to the point where smart machines can read and interpret a scan from a MRI machine as well as or even better than a physician or radiologist. Now what?
The fear of work, job, and career displacement is real. New AI, robots and bots can see better than humans. Robots can drive automobiles. Robots can conduct document reviews for litigation. Robots can automatically write articles. Robots can operate on humans. Robots are reliable and dependable. And, robots can do these as well as or even better than a human. And, what will happen in five years?
Work Lesson Earned: Movies and TV are harbingers of things about to happen at work. Some believe the future of AI and robotics may be humanoid assemblies of us or even of pets. The future is not that far away as AI automation and robotics point to coming paradigm shifts.