According to research conducted by MIT, the prospect of AI displacing human jobs may not be as imminent as previously thought, at least in certain contexts. The study focused on scenarios where AI, particularly in the form of computer vision technology, could potentially substitute tasks traditionally performed by humans.
For instance, the study highlighted a case involving a small bakery where part of the baker’s responsibility includes visually inspecting ingredients like flour and eggs for freshness before incorporating them into recipes. While it’s conceivable for a bakery to invest in expensive computer vision systems for such tasks, the study’s analysis, as common sense would dictate, suggests that this may not be a practical or cost-effective solution.
By surveying workers across various industries to identify tasks suitable for automation through computer vision, researchers developed models to assess the economic viability of such implementations. The findings indicated that, even for large corporations like Walmart, the benefits of replacing human workers with AI for visual tasks are limited. As stated in the study:
The analysis reveals that the average employee operates in a company where automating visual tasks is not financially justifiable. Even in a company with 5,000 employees, which surpasses 99.9% of US businesses in size, the cost-effective automation of visual tasks remains below ten percent under the current economic conditions.
While acknowledging the potential future cost reductions in AI technologies, the study posits that the rate of decline may not be as rapid as some predictions suggest. Consequently, it could be a considerable amount of time before AI significantly impacts roles reliant on visual tasks like those examined in the research.
It is crucial to note that this study specifically pertains to jobs susceptible to automation through computer vision applications, highlighting the nuanced nature of AI’s impact on the workforce. As for professions like writing, the concerns about AI encroaching on roles such as crafting articles may not be as pressing, albeit the future remains uncertain. 😬
