Ways AI Can Actually Strengthen Job Security

Conventional wisdom these days tends to be that the rise of more advanced artificial intelligence is going to lead to widespread job losses. And we have said before that these fears are not unfounded, given historical indications that new technologies tend to be disruptive to job markets. The simple fact is that in some cases, displacement as a result of increasing automation is going to be an inescapable reality, and society will simply have to adjust accordingly.

With that said though, the news isn’t all bad for traditional job markets. As we begin to see more examples of advanced AI in workplaces, it’s also becoming clear that in some cases the technology can actually strengthen job security, boost performance, and even potentially increase workplace happiness.

 
 

First and foremost, there’s the idea of AI improving job placement in the first place. AskSpoke looked at AI transformation in the workplace in a number of categories, and focused notably on hiring, onboarding, and training. All of these are processes that AI is already beginning to improve, helping companies to find the right candidates, onboard them more efficiently, and train them more effectively. These applications may not be leading to more jobs, but it stands to reason that they are improving job security for the hires they lead to. In theory, a candidate hired and trained via AI-driven methods will be a better fit, and will be better prepared to handle the job at hand. Such a candidate will be set up for success from the outset.

 
 

Some other areas mentioned in connection to AI adoption are marketing and data analysis, and here too employees may see benefits. Many who aren’t in the industry don’t necessarily recognise how complex analytics and marketing can be for a modern company, but the truth is that it can be enough to make even a skilled employee’s head spin. AI can actually solve this problem essentially by taking the tedious parts out of employees’ hands (without making them obsolete). With specific regard to helping businesses in Asia establish more global outreach, Ayima discusses empowering companies through data and machine learning, which is exactly the idea. Technology can now be used to gather immense amounts of data related to a company’s marketing effort, analyse it, and then drive strategies and learn from changes. This essentially means that an AI system can provide a blueprint for a modern marketing effort, which can then be carried out by employees who are no longer overworked trying to manage data themselves. Regarding the example concept, this could help an Asian company put together a tech-driven global marketing campaign without losing employees.

 
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Looking to another type of AI integration altogether, there are also some indications that robotic functions in large stores might not do as much to displace workers as many once assumed. Specifically, Walmart actually provides justification for this optimism. ZDNet discussed Walmart’s “robot army with regard to job cuts, examining the impact of tools like autonomous floor cleaners and robotic shelf scanners that have been installed in stores in recent years. Once upon a time, it was believed that these AI-driven advancements would lead to less need for in-store workers, and thus to significant job loss across the massive company’s innumerable stores. In practice though, the “robot army” appears mostly to have made things easier on employees. For example, the shelf scanners provide detailed data relating to inventory, which in turn helps store associates to be aware of what they have, what they don’t, and what might be missing. By and large, Walmart claims that the automated features are there “to relieve workers from the boredom” that comes from repeatable manual tasks.

There are additional examples and well, but hopefully these few have helped to show that AI isn’t always a bad thing for job security. Again, there are sure to be instances when it does in fact make existing jobs obsolete; the argument here isn’t that AI is a pure positive for existing job markets. In some cases though, it can actually make work easier and more secure for employees.

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