According to estimates by organizations such as Goldman-Sachs, AI could automate around 300 million full-time jobs globally. They have stated that nearly two-thirds of the jobs currently existing in America and Europe could be affected by AI automation to one degree or another.
The International-Labour-Organization (ILO) takes a somewhat more conservative view and estimates that approximately 2.3 percent of global employment, or about 75 million jobs, is at risk of complete automation.
At the same time, labor researchers have observed that large-scale sudden layoffs are unlikely. Instead, hiring for entry-level white-collar positions and workers engaged in physical "grunt work" may slow down.
Nevertheless, some doomsday-prophets have already begun predicting how AI will eventually overpower humanity itself!
Can AI ever surpass humans?
The International-Labour-Organization (ILO) takes a somewhat more conservative view and estimates that approximately 2.3 percent of global employment, or about 75 million jobs, is at risk of complete automation.
At the same time, labor researchers have observed that large-scale sudden layoffs are unlikely. Instead, hiring for entry-level white-collar positions and workers engaged in physical "grunt work" may slow down.
Nevertheless, some doomsday-prophets have already begun predicting how AI will eventually overpower humanity itself!
Can AI ever surpass humans?
Certainly, in some specific roles, yes.
AI systems are trained on vast reservoirs of knowledge that no single human being could ever master alone. They possess a tireless ability to ingest enormous amounts of data, process it, and produce results at speeds that humans cannot even think at.
But does that make them equal to humans, or superior to them?
I do not think so. At least not in their present form.
In their current state, they are highly mechanical. They perform tasks that humans find extremely boring or exhausting, using immense computing power and without any conscious purpose.
Today's AI can do an excellent job of predicting the correct answer based on patterns. However, as I discussed in previous episodes, it does not possess the ability to truly "understand" what it is inferring. Nor does it have any motivation for the tasks it performs. It has no intention of surpassing humans. Nor is it currently equipped to do so.
No matter how vast its knowledge may appear, it is limited to information that is publicly available in documented form. This represents only a tiny fraction of what humanity has accumulated over millions of years, across countless languages and under diverse living conditions. It would not be wrong to say that AI can never truly become equal to humans in this respect.
Therefore, the fear that AI will independently take control of humanity, as portrayed in science-fiction stories, is merely a fictional fear.
However, yes, as I listed earlier, there are limited risks.
Customer service representatives, data-entry clerks, medical transcriptionists, junior software developers, administrative assistants, and bookkeepers are among those who are more vulnerable than others.
Another large community that is being affected consists of translators and voice actors. This is because current AI systems are exceptionally proficient at text-to-text manipulation. As a result, publishers are aggressively pushing for AI integration.
According to a survey conducted by the Society of Authors, more than one-third of translators have already lost work because of generative AI. Many literary translators are being asked to shift toward "Machine Translation Post-Editing." This involves correcting awkward AI-translated text. However, these translators often receive only a small fraction of the per-word translation fees they once earned.
The development of highly reliable and emotionally expressive text-to-speech models has significantly disrupted the voice-over industry. Before the advent of AI, this was an extremely lucrative field for professional voice actors. These voice artists often charged hundreds of dollars per finished hour of audio. Most small authors could never afford to hire them. Some narrated their own books, while others simply watched helplessly.
Now, because of AI intervention, considerable unrest has emerged within the voice-acting community. Many feel that their very existence is under threat. Supported by their forums and unions, they appear to be attempting to prevent AI from entering the field.
There was a time when an author had to struggle for months to translate and narrate a book in another language. Today, AI can accomplish the same task in just a few hours. That is what has created the fear of AI.
However, such an attitude only restricts the market. If handled properly, it could bring about a major transformation in the publishing industry, which has long been waiting for lower-cost alternatives.
Just imagine. Instead of a good book being confined to a single language, it could reach millions of people who speak different languages. That would be a revolution in the dissemination of knowledge.
Considering the growing popularity of audiobooks, the entry of AI into the audiobook production pipeline could be a tremendous blessing. Not only would it reduce the monopoly of a small number of voice artists who charge substantial fees, but it would also make books available to a much wider audience.
Yes, I can understand the fears of these professionals. But can AI truly replace them?
No matter how smart current AI systems may appear, they still cannot match human-level precision in either linguistic perfection or the subtle expression of emotions.
There will always be demand for top-level voice artists. Best-selling authors and those who can afford them will continue to hire them.
Most authors could never justify hiring them because of their high fees, and because subscription-based stores often pay such tiny pool shares that the economics simply did not work.
These authors may now turn to AI and find a way to sustain themselves. After all, it is not only voice artists who need to survive. Authors who previously had no option but to pay expensive voice-acting fees also need to survive.
As the audiobook industry continues to grow, good voice artists will find more opportunities as well. In the long run, they have little reason to believe that they are truly under threat.
There are also frequent complaints that translation professionals have been severely affected by AI. Many of them are said to have been reduced to tasks such as proofreading, while AI performs the primary translation work. Naturally, they are paid less than they were before.
However, as AI translates more books, these proofreaders will also receive more work. The overall volume of work matters. Needless to say, both authors and readers stand to benefit from this.
Therefore, instead of fighting against a phenomenon that appears to be inevitable, it is better to make the best possible use of technology. In the long run, that will help everyone.
My point is that instead of focusing excessively on the immediate effects of AI, we should pay more attention to the long-term dangers that AI could create in the hands of a small number of self-serving individuals.
The real danger does not come from the technology itself. Rather, it comes from the misuse of that technology by human beings.
Whether it is communication, energy supply chains, essential services, or countless other sectors, the rapid penetration of AI could become a genuine threat if it falls into the wrong hands.
AI is like a sharp knife. In the hands of a skilled surgeon, a sharp knife can save lives. In the hands of a master chef, it can create delicious meals. In the hands of a great sculptor, it can contribute to magnificent works of art.
But if it falls into the wrong hands, it can cause destruction.
That is what we should be far more concerned about.
AI systems are trained on vast reservoirs of knowledge that no single human being could ever master alone. They possess a tireless ability to ingest enormous amounts of data, process it, and produce results at speeds that humans cannot even think at.
But does that make them equal to humans, or superior to them?
I do not think so. At least not in their present form.
In their current state, they are highly mechanical. They perform tasks that humans find extremely boring or exhausting, using immense computing power and without any conscious purpose.
Today's AI can do an excellent job of predicting the correct answer based on patterns. However, as I discussed in previous episodes, it does not possess the ability to truly "understand" what it is inferring. Nor does it have any motivation for the tasks it performs. It has no intention of surpassing humans. Nor is it currently equipped to do so.
No matter how vast its knowledge may appear, it is limited to information that is publicly available in documented form. This represents only a tiny fraction of what humanity has accumulated over millions of years, across countless languages and under diverse living conditions. It would not be wrong to say that AI can never truly become equal to humans in this respect.
Therefore, the fear that AI will independently take control of humanity, as portrayed in science-fiction stories, is merely a fictional fear.
However, yes, as I listed earlier, there are limited risks.
Customer service representatives, data-entry clerks, medical transcriptionists, junior software developers, administrative assistants, and bookkeepers are among those who are more vulnerable than others.
Another large community that is being affected consists of translators and voice actors. This is because current AI systems are exceptionally proficient at text-to-text manipulation. As a result, publishers are aggressively pushing for AI integration.
According to a survey conducted by the Society of Authors, more than one-third of translators have already lost work because of generative AI. Many literary translators are being asked to shift toward "Machine Translation Post-Editing." This involves correcting awkward AI-translated text. However, these translators often receive only a small fraction of the per-word translation fees they once earned.
The development of highly reliable and emotionally expressive text-to-speech models has significantly disrupted the voice-over industry. Before the advent of AI, this was an extremely lucrative field for professional voice actors. These voice artists often charged hundreds of dollars per finished hour of audio. Most small authors could never afford to hire them. Some narrated their own books, while others simply watched helplessly.
Now, because of AI intervention, considerable unrest has emerged within the voice-acting community. Many feel that their very existence is under threat. Supported by their forums and unions, they appear to be attempting to prevent AI from entering the field.
There was a time when an author had to struggle for months to translate and narrate a book in another language. Today, AI can accomplish the same task in just a few hours. That is what has created the fear of AI.
However, such an attitude only restricts the market. If handled properly, it could bring about a major transformation in the publishing industry, which has long been waiting for lower-cost alternatives.
Just imagine. Instead of a good book being confined to a single language, it could reach millions of people who speak different languages. That would be a revolution in the dissemination of knowledge.
Considering the growing popularity of audiobooks, the entry of AI into the audiobook production pipeline could be a tremendous blessing. Not only would it reduce the monopoly of a small number of voice artists who charge substantial fees, but it would also make books available to a much wider audience.
Yes, I can understand the fears of these professionals. But can AI truly replace them?
No matter how smart current AI systems may appear, they still cannot match human-level precision in either linguistic perfection or the subtle expression of emotions.
There will always be demand for top-level voice artists. Best-selling authors and those who can afford them will continue to hire them.
Most authors could never justify hiring them because of their high fees, and because subscription-based stores often pay such tiny pool shares that the economics simply did not work.
These authors may now turn to AI and find a way to sustain themselves. After all, it is not only voice artists who need to survive. Authors who previously had no option but to pay expensive voice-acting fees also need to survive.
As the audiobook industry continues to grow, good voice artists will find more opportunities as well. In the long run, they have little reason to believe that they are truly under threat.
There are also frequent complaints that translation professionals have been severely affected by AI. Many of them are said to have been reduced to tasks such as proofreading, while AI performs the primary translation work. Naturally, they are paid less than they were before.
However, as AI translates more books, these proofreaders will also receive more work. The overall volume of work matters. Needless to say, both authors and readers stand to benefit from this.
Therefore, instead of fighting against a phenomenon that appears to be inevitable, it is better to make the best possible use of technology. In the long run, that will help everyone.
My point is that instead of focusing excessively on the immediate effects of AI, we should pay more attention to the long-term dangers that AI could create in the hands of a small number of self-serving individuals.
The real danger does not come from the technology itself. Rather, it comes from the misuse of that technology by human beings.
Whether it is communication, energy supply chains, essential services, or countless other sectors, the rapid penetration of AI could become a genuine threat if it falls into the wrong hands.
AI is like a sharp knife. In the hands of a skilled surgeon, a sharp knife can save lives. In the hands of a master chef, it can create delicious meals. In the hands of a great sculptor, it can contribute to magnificent works of art.
But if it falls into the wrong hands, it can cause destruction.
That is what we should be far more concerned about.
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