Not a fan of self-checkout machines or of any kind of robots in general. I like people -- most of the time anyway, and ... I always prefer chatting with a clerk to checking myself out or to feeling like I am dealing with a machine. I haven't even used an ATM in years. If I ever even had a debit card, I lost it in a junk drawer long ago. The one exception to this might be my Roomba which, although really stupid, does do a relatively good job of cleaning underneath all the beds, and for that I am thankful. It doesn't seem to care though. It's not a bit fun -- just sits on the floor charging and waiting. It has no personality at all. Then there is all the recent hubbub about AI. It is sort of an all of a sudden kind of brouhaha... and probably a bit over the top sort of thing. We will see. I learned recently that AI has actually been in the making for a long time. I did not know this.
Speculation about Artificial Intelligence doesn't bode well for many though. An unnamed source of a Google search tells me that apparently IBM, for example, will replace some 30% of its "back-office" roles with AI within the next five years, That translates to approximately 7,800 positions. The phrase "7800 positions" translates to 7800 people losing their jobs. (That is one big "back-office".) IBM has also slowed or stopped hiring for some clerical positions. Other articles report of thousands of other jobs that have already been lost or are in the process of being eliminated by AI. "Other jobs" also translates to "more people" losing their jobs. Semantics are important.
I suppose that Artificial Intelligence has its place and has its good points. For example, it can work without stopping 24/7 and some say that it reduces error and increases quality. AI handles data efficiently. The thing is though -- the mere thought of people being replaced by machines is disturbing to me. (I vow to avoid self-checkout if at all possible.) Humans have a way of giving things a nice, creative and lovely "human" touch - mistakes and all. I just hope that Artificial Intelligence doesn't totally eliminate the chance for humans to communicate directly with one another. The world would be a sad place without smiles and eye contact. An occasional hug is also a nice thing.
My question is: Who even thinks of this kind of thing? The answer -- the concept was introduced in the 1950's and continues to be explored over the years by many. An MIT computer genius named John McCarthy gave it the name Artificial Intelligence. AI has been coming for a long time. Maybe we will get as used to it as we have become to computers or cell phones. I know I can change. I distinctly remember thinking that the idea of a microwave oven was ridiculous. I changed that opinion rather rapidly. We will see. I figure that human beings can just pull the plug or let the battery run down if AI gets too big for its britches. Hope so, anyway.
Must mention in parting -- AI and robots, in addition to other concerns, give me the creeps, -- no matter how smart they are or how good of a job they do.
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