Part 1: Artificial Intelligence In The Workforce

So many people are afraid of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our professional world. I have heard the same arguments but I feel like there’s not much weight to the opinions opposing AI nor depth in the consideration of providing professional support, not necessarily replacing jobs. I would like to explore some of the benefits and limitations that I have considered regarding bringing AI into our blue collar and white collar jobs, including sex work.

Blue Collar Jobs

I had a discussion with someone the other day regarding how toll booths have been replaced with automated technology. “Where did all of these people go once they lost their job?” was the question asked. Well, my thoughts are that when old jobs are automated, new jobs are created. Perhaps some of these jobs may be specialized, such as mechanical reparation of these automated machines. I think this is the evolution of humanity in the workforce and I don’t see any reason to fear the inevitable.

I just because I hold this perspective on blue-collar jobs doesn’t mean I 100% support the rapid change. I still would rather see a cashier than use the self check out machines. After all, the corporation isn’t paying me to do someone else’s job or maybe the corporations are able to keep pricing lower because they don’t have to pay as many staff members. From the cashiers perspective, however, they may resent me for making them work harder because they are getting paid whether they cash me out. In this example, they may not have as many employees, but they still have employees to watch and ensure that people are ringing in their items correctly. Jobs become more refined, more specialized, and require more intelligence and attention to detail.

Amazon Go has set up their stores where a person can grab the items they want and walk out without ever having to check out or wait in line. Sure, there are no jobs in terms of cashiers. But what about people stocking the shelves? Or security at the front of the door to ensure people aren’t just running and without properly scanning their Amazon account? Sometimes the mere presence of humans can be a deterrent in reducing crime rate. And, as we see less and less of human interaction, what kind of impact will this have on humanity?

You can read more about Amazon Go here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2019/01/13/why-amazon-go-may-soon-change-the-way-we-want-to

White Collar Jobs

We have been seeing technological advances in blue-collar jobs for at least the last century, with changes to the industrial world specifically. These types of machines are task specific and are unable to learn and apply new knowledge. Now, the new technology of AI can be categorized by operating within a limited number of tasks, perform similar to humans or beyond human capabilities. Arend Hintze at Michigan State University mentions two types of categories which currently exist.

1. Reactive Machines: involves technology where it can recall and organize data based on the customer’s interests and feed reliable recommendations. This is considered superior to human knowledge because our brains are limited in terms of reacting to all of the information we learn and remember. One example of this is recommendations on Netflix based on the types of shows you watch.

2. Limited Memory: this type of AI imitates the way our brains function in terms of how it learns based on the data that it acquires. Humans learn from failures and successes whereas this type of AI learns through the data it is trained on. One example is self driving cars. This technology observes other cars on the road based on things like proximity and speed but the rules of the road, such as speed limits and school zones, must be programmed into the machine.

You can read more about AI here:

https://www.coursera.org/articles/types-of-ai

These two types of AI technology are currently being used in white collar-type jobs and companies are benefitting from the amazing features that these technologies offer. Yesterday, I was having a discussion with someone about the use of AI in the medical field. A study few studies were done where AI passed the medical licensing exam in the US, performing at or near the passing threshold. However, this doesn’t mean that the technology is capable of making safe and accurate decisions in terms of someone’s diagnosis and treatment plan.

You can read more about AI passing the medical exams here: https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/102705

One ER doctor used ChatGPT to diagnose their patients and he found a 50% success rate in terms of proper diagnosis, which is quite alarming from an emergency perspective. In one specific case the AI didn’t ask a woman, who was experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, appropriate questions which could have proven to be fatal had the doctor not been there to intervene. This doctor was able to interpret the response of, “I can’t be pregnant” as emotional (I don’t want to be pregnant) whereas the AI would have taken this answer at face value. AI is clearly still in its infancy. So where could the technology be lacking?

You can read more about this case study here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90863983/chatgpt-medical-diagnosis-emergency-room

Arend Hintze at Michigan State University points to two additional types of AI that currently does not exist. Theory of Mind, which will give AI the ability to relate to humans in terms of thoughts and emotions, and Self-Awareness, which AI will be able to have conscious awareness of their own existence, are two theoretical AI types that may become reality in the future. I think, in the example above, these two factors may have promoted emotional critical thinking processes among the technology to allow for relatability to the specific patient in question. But will this replace all doctors and medical professional in the future?

Perhaps it could but I think a more realistic theory is that people will use this technology in conjunction with diagnoses and treatments plans. Typically, a team of doctors will make decisions based on patients who have complicated and potentially fatal diseases and they use information, such as biopsies, current research, personal experience and other types of evidence to support their diagnosis and treatment plans. This is not a linear process and a lot of evidence is collected slowly to make decisions. I think AI technology will speed up the process in terms of interpreting results and making decisions alongside doctors. One study that I found supports this theory that AI may be helpful in making clinical decisions and could alleviate the clinical burdens that many healthcare professionals face.

You can read more about this study here: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-08070-7

I hear many stories about burn out with regards to medical staff and less human interaction. People report feeling like “just a number” when they’re in the doctors office or hospitals. Imagine a world where nurses and doctors responsibilities are reduced to allow for better patient care in terms of spending quality time on human connection.

AI and Sex Industry

A few years ago, I was talking to some of my fellow massage attendant colleagues who I was working with on that shift, and they shared their opinion about an article that they read regarding a business that would rent out sex dolls. They expressed concern about the demand for sex workers if this business was successful. My response was that there would always be a demand because people crave human interaction and human touch. Of course, there is a market for everything and this business has been successful from my knowledge, but it is no different than having a sex toy. I’ve even watched videos of people who collect sex dolls, as a way to have company in their home. These people name their dolls and even ascribe them a  complex personality to humanize these inanimate objects. They are not necessarily sexualizing these dolls but, to me, it indicates that these people are lonely and crave that human connection. Further, people can customize their dolls to their own preferences, such as height, breast size and hair color. As technology evolves and AI is integrated to give life to these dolls, people can also customize personality types and perhaps even emotional reactions. But what are the ethical guidelines and where should we draw the line?

To be continued…