Machine learning is a field which has been continually expanding and growing, since its early days when the term “machine learning” was coined by Arthur Samuel’s research paper in 1959 “Some studies in machine learning using the game of checkers” (Arthur L. Samuel 1959), till today where we use it in our day-to-day life. Machine learning, deep learning and neural networks, are all sub fields of artificial intelligence. Hence, artificial intelligence (AI), is broad science which tries to get machines and programs, to mimic human abilities, while machine learning is the subset, which trains the machine, how to learn. Machine learning is used nowadays, from predicting what ads are most relevant to you, to suggesting movies and TV series, for you to watch next.
Machine learning is classified in three distinct, primary categories: supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning and semi-supervised machine learning (Julianna Delua 12 March 2021).
Is the approach used, when labeling datasets. By doing so, the algorithms are trained by the classification of the data, and hence allow for the algorithm to make accurate predictions. The algorithm is constantly tested with inputs, so as to check that it has been thus far trained correctly.
This category consists of machine learning algorithms that sift through vast amounts of data, in order to discover patterns, that they use to learn and train themselves. There are three main techniques employed when training unsupervised machine learning models, clustering, association and dimensional reduction. In clustering, the unlabeled data is grouped based on similarities and differences, in association, different rules are employed to find relationships between variables and dimensional reduction, reduces the magnitude of data, when there is too much data to be analyzed. Without a doubt there are drawbacks to both of these methods, there is a high labor component involved in supervised machine learning. And, in unsupervised machine learning, you can obtain completely inaccurate results. Due to this, semi-supervised machine learning was introduced, in the hope of getting the best of both worlds.
Permits us to achieve a happy medium, by training the algorithms with both, labeled and unlabeled data, something which can seem extremely useful when dealing with high volumes of data. Hence being ideal for analyzing medical images for example. Machine learning is used in the modern world, to solve a plethora of different problems. In our day to day lives we utilize functionalities which are based on machine learning and artificial intelligence, from speech recognition to computer vision, it plays an integral part in our lives. Through speech recognition we can converse directly with our phones, with voice search (for example, Siri), or provide us the ability to dictate a message which we wish to send to our friend, in a circumstance, where we can’t use our hands. Moreover, with computer vision, programs can recognize and classify items in images, hence helping in recognizing potentially hazardous situations, and in the development of self-driving technology. In addition, the usage of machine learning, with which we interact on a daily basis, is that of recommendation engines, as we use it and enjoy the results of it, whenever we search for something on google, or look for a recommended film on Netflix.
I believe that we are currently only at the beginning of discovering the true potential of machine learning, as we are currently facing a revolution in just about every aspect of our lives, due to the incredible potential of this technology. Over the next few years, we will probably have the ability to travel in fully self-driving vehicles, since multiple gargantuan companies, with virtually unlimited resources, have committed themselves to this goal, including Google and Tesla.
With the emergence of new custom-built technology, meant to propel computational power for machine learning related tasks (Jordan Novet August 19 2021), the algorithmic capabilities are building up exponentially. By having access to billions of either actually driven (Lex Fridman n.d.), or virtually driven miles (Darrell Etherington July 11 2019), these companies have succeeded in accumulating a gargantuan amount of data. This, combined with the latest technological advancements on chip speed and generally in the domain of machine learning will definitely help to make this vision a reality.
With the rise of machine learning and AI in general, entire industries have the potential to be revolutionized. Machine learning can help us build more aerodynamic planes, buildings which are invulnerable to collapse, predict the weather more accurately, drive us wherever we wish and generally help us, in just about every domain. By doing so, people will rarely be late for their appointments, as the algorithms developed, will be able to help them schedule with the greatest accuracy and ease. Moreover, it is also likely that many different types of jobs will cease to exist, as robots will be able to complete them cheaper, faster and with higher quality standards. We are already seeing robots dominating the automobile manufacturing industry and soon this phenomenon could start taking place, in other industries as well. This could definitely have a negative impact upon the workers at these factories, however I don’t think that the potential loss of job positions, justifies halting innovation and decreasing the general efficiency of the population.
Many current technologies and devices might also be made redundant with the evolution of this extraordinary technology. Gradually light switches are being made obsolete, with the emergence of smart home devices such as Alexa, which will understand and execute voice commands, hence allowing for people to be able to have full control of their house, without actually physically having to touch any switches and hence freeing up their hands.
The general advancement in this field, will also have as a consequence, the emergence of many new applications and potentially even devices, which we can’t even dream of yet, and that might in some point in the future, have many beneficial functionalities, functionalities which will make our lives a lot easier and more pleasant. Moreover, the large number of resources, which are being dedicated to this field, can create multiple new jobs, from which a multitude of people might benefit.
The evolution of this technology, will impact the lives of most people, myself included. With machine learning, many aspects of our lives can be revolutionized, from the simplest of things, like voice control of a smart home, to search recommendations. In my daily life artificial intelligence is already helping me, by allowing me to find exactly what I’m searching for, without having to spend hours on sifting through mountains of data. The affect which machine learning has on my life, will continue to increase, as the algorithms which we create become smarter, and we as humans realize how to utilize their full potential. Moreover, artificial intelligence also helps me in my learning ventures, by helping me improve in games like chess, as in the modern world, artificial intelligence can prove itself to be great at analyzing the best possible alternatives, and hence training you on how to act in similar circumstances.
My friends and family, will experience a variety of other benefits from machine learning, due to a variety of different factors. Many of my friends and my parents have troubles with their eyesight, hence, the improvement of machine learning, can help by allowing them to not have to type out anything on their phone, and just dictate everything they might require to write on their phone, or search. This technology already exists to a large extent, although it doesn’t exist across all applications a user might use and you can’t access all the functionalities of applications, solely through voice commands. These friends would also benefit from autonomous vehicles allowing for them to commute both with greater ease and safety.
Without a doubt, the technology will develop in the coming years and will be integrated to a larger extent, on apps. Furthermore, I know a lot of people which don’t know what types of movies and series they would like to watch, and so, Netflix recommendations can really help these people. Undeniably, machine learning is revolutionizing the world we live in, and I believe that we are merely at the beginning, of a revolution.
The definition of Cybersecurity according to (Cyber Security, 2021) is the application of technologies, processes and controls to protect networks, systems, devices, data and programs from cyber-attacks. The main goal of Cybersecurity is to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and protect systems, networks and technology against unauthorised exploits.
The term cybersecurity applies to a variety of contexts, a few of the common categories according to (What is Cyber Security?, 2021) include:
In the modern world, there exists an ever-evolving landscape of cyber criminals trying to constantly outsmart cyber security technologies (The 5 Latest Cyber Security Technologies for Your Business, 2021). Over the last couple of years there has been a lot of media coverage on Cybercrime, likely because, the impact and scale of these crimes has increased. Some reasons to take cybercrimes seriously and have preventative systems in place:
Cybersecurity is a continual game of cat and mouse with newer technologies available to break into systems and networks. Over time it’s been found that no security is foolproof and will never be. Cybersecurity experts need to constantly use new technologies to fortify their systems and networks. Some of the most advanced cyber security technologies include:
According to (What Is the Future of Cybersecurity?, 2021) it has become difficult for organisations and consumers to know the various spots where they have security. So, in the near future, we might see trends towards consolidation, making information more obtainable, so you don’t have to dig so deep to understand your risks.
There are various technologies that will change and improve Cybersecurity in the future like artificial intelligence (AI), Quantum computing and Quantum cryptography but these will take time to make an impact, we might even be 25 years away from seeing these technologies become commonplace.
In the next couple of years technologies like Machine Learning, automation, Blockchaining, internet of things (IoT) and cloud related technologies, will make the greatest impact. Blockchaining will take place inside more products. Nonrepudiation of data is one cornerstone of cybersecurity. Blockchain could advance digital signatures, identification authentication and time stamping within the next few years.
The most immediate impact will be getting better at automating important things for organisations. In the next couple of years cybersecurity will have a mostly data centric approach. Understanding where your data really is, won’t be necessary to a large extent. Moreover, the importance of data will continually grow each year.
According to (Impact of Cyber Security: An Overview (2021), 2021) Cybersecurity is a large field in the IT sector, an area that needs more attention from people, but unfortunately given little importance. The general population has a severe lack of awareness and knowledge when it comes to cybersecurity, something which creates favourable conditions for hackers.
In layman’s terms Cybersecurity is the science which aims to protect and secure information. According to research by department for digital, culture, media and sports, around 66% of medium-sized businesses have had a security breach over the past few years. Out of these around 50% required new prevention methods and additional staff to deal with these breaches.
Impact on individuals
According to (UNODC, 2021) individuals can have their privacy and security of their data violated. Particularly with hacking, there are a variety of different crimes which can be committed, including malware insertion on a third-party device without prior consent, identity theft, financial fraud, medical fraud and other similar offences.
Impact on Businesses
According to (Impact of cyber-attacks on your business | nibusinessinfo.co.uk, 2021) the impact of a cyber-attack on your business can be enormous, inflicting great damage, affecting the consumer’s trust. The impact to businesses can be divided into three categories; financial, reputational and legal.
According to (Why is Cybersecurity Important? | UpGuard, 2021) human error was the cause of 90% of data breeches in 2019. This means that by training staff and the general population as a whole, as to how to identify and correctly respond to cyber threats, the majority of data breaches could be avoided.
There is a constantly evolving race between hackers and cybersecurity teams. This means that technology is constantly being exploited by hackers and updated to stop these exploits by cybersecurity teams.
Cybersecurity jobs are in demand and will stay in demand for decades to come. According to the New York Times there is an estimated 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs in 2021 alone (Why a cybersecurity career will remain in demand, 2021). Security research shows that most companies have unprotected data and poor cybersecurity practices. Cybercrimes are only increasing, all businesses are potential targets regardless of size, structure or reputation. The two fastest growing skills in cybersecurity are application development security and cloud security, both involve building secure systems rather than responding to attacks. This industry is growing and according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, cybersecurity jobs in general will grow 31% through 2029, whilst the average job growth in that same time period is 4%.
According to (How Cyberattacks Will Affect The Average Person In 2018, 2021) this question can be seen as; how cyber-attacks affect personal data and privacy, and also, their impact on the political, economic and social systems that we live in. The average person needs to be more careful when they are protecting their own personal data. If a person’s data is stolen the implications range from identity theft, financial losses and reputation losses. The average person should try to implement some simple safety measures, for example multi-factor authentication, password security, and more.
Cyber-attacks will most likely continue to impact domestic and international politics, hence having an impact on every person in society. Cyber-attacks along with data dumps that contain a mixture of real and false information, are being used to control voters’ opinions. On a more individual level, although high profile breaches occupy most of the media attention, cyber-attacks can target individuals, hacked e-mails, social accounts, webcams and mobile phones are some of the various ways that a person can be hacked.
According to this blog (10 Personal Cyber Security Tips — #CyberAware - Cipher, 2021) these are 10 ways for an individual to improve their cyber awareness;
Some of the top causes of Security Breaches include: Phishing/Hacking/Malware at 31%, Individual Mistake at 24%, External Theft at 17%. In conclusion doing some simple research and being aware can help mitigate the danger that the general public faces, in their daily lives. Simple actions like adding authentication on top of our passwords and having better/stronger passwords in general, will reduce our risks moving forward.
Mr. r00tdvd has uttered exceptionally inspiring words that have captured the minds of his audience, as he spoke wisdom and advice regarding the common practices in the IT world, he was asked multiple follow up questions that challenged him, and brought out hidden truths that lay in this domain. This IT professional expounded on his personal experiences and spoke on practical methods that he implemented and employed in order to reduce common complications that occur. He gave us an insight as to what the world of IT holds, and the unexpected yet avoidable misunderstandings, lengthy processes and problems. Multiple points were brought up including, adapting to new work environments, specialising in the work that you enjoy, getting your “hands dirty with the code”, learning new roles and being able to fulfill them and developing healthy and mutually beneficial relationships with workmate’s.
“OK for me. Specifically, currently, I write code using SWIFT for iOS, the Apple platform. I constantly create new features within the apps and integrate them with back-end systems. I'll also debug applications for issues and basically, the hardest ones to find are the bugs, that you cannot replicate, so these require special techniques to find the root cause of the problem and the solution is different every time, so these are the things that I do on a day to day basis besides working with lots of other IT professionals, obviously.”
Mr. r00tdvd finished his computer science degree and had two options to choose from as a graduate, either to work on desktop applications using languages like C++, or working on the web. he chose to work on creating web applications due to his desire for everyone to see what he was developing he received his first role as a web developer, not long after he graduated.
Mr. r00tdvd has had major experience in not only software development, but different work environments. His insight will most probably reach far beyond simple information and common software development topics, he, according to his experience, will delve into wise guidance that will assist the reader of this transcript along with the interviewees. This may to some extent even aid the professional that is being interviewed, as studies show that offering advice boosts self-confidence.(Eskreis-Winkler, Lauren and Milkman., 2019)
Mr. R00tdvd, has mentioned that he is mainly a software developer, this means that he programs and writes code, so that you, or I as a user, may use this software on whatever device feasible. This job requires high levels of cognitive ability and in some cases, can be very stressful.
When this developer mentions Swift, this is one of the many languages in the world of IT, this language specifically, may only be employed to create applications on apple devices (IOS). The developer develops features and applications using this language across multiple organisations including Suncorp Bank, Centre for Chris Hemsworth, ABC News and working with Deloitte on the Virgin Money Banking App
This is a term used for running applications or, “code” in a certain way that allows you to locate where a bug is. If you have any simple knowledge of the world of IT, you will understand that the coding platform used an “IDE” (Integrated Development Environment), may put red lines under the code that has an issue, therefore, you cannot run the code, and it is easy to find the bug. This cannot be further from the truth, specifically within these complicated applications, you may encounter something called a run-time error, meaning that the code looks fine, but somewhere along the way, the code may fail, depending on the actions that you take... These errors can be rather challenging to fix. This means that Mr. r00tdvd has pushed himself to learn something that is not necessarily his role, it is the role of a tester.
Mr. R00tdvd, has spoken of his experiences at university, he has revealed to us unorthodox approaches and has elaborated on it. His experiences at university were unlike those of a typical student, he did not only study and aim for distinctions. He rather casted his concentration onto what he believed was important to him, and the stream that he wished to specialise in, but he made an important comment that is confirmed by a study (2021, June 15). “Although some of the subjects in his course were not relevant to him at the time... they expanded his brain and caused him to be cognitively challenged in ways that his software subjects may not have targeted”. This is a crucial point due to its objective nature. In addition, this statement is exclusively said, when it is too late. Referring to the reason we would interview an IT professional in the first place, it is due to us desiring advice, that will effectively reduce instances of oblivious and unwise choices.
Proceeding conformation on this particular topic, Mr. R00tdvd has further elaborated on practices as university students and advised us against the common practices of university students. This advice consists of a certain concept that relate to a common learning style. This is not to open up a book and start reading for the sake of simply understanding software concepts and paradigms, but instead to, “open up your IDE” and out your knowledge into practice.
Mr. R00tdvd later confirms that the approach that we take as students is dependent on our learn style. The answer for this question may help my group significantly as the majority of us, have completed a learn style examination. This examination determined the methods that we are to employ that enable us to understand concepts in the most effective way.
Mr. R00tdvd, has advised us against fulfilling other team members’ roles. Although this is the case, he helps us to understand that being able to fulfil a majority of these roles, is essential for a software developer that wishes to further his software development skills and create applications.
He mentions a positive life experience that he has encountered. He has previously collaborated with a web designer, the resulting application that came out of this collaboration, was rather satisfying, as they both pulled each other's weight and completed this application with profits at the end. I believe this is the ideal process of a team in this field, something that is unfortunately not always followed.
Mr. R00tdvd, then proceeds to elaborate in detail, confirming that the size of the organization is the largest factor when it comes to the structure of the team. A team may consist of a rather small number of members that will consequently lengthen the time it takes to complete a certain application, or to implement a certain feature. The quality may also be compromised due to time constraints, and in addition, the team members may not have specialised in all of the roles which they must fulfil. With regards to his preference, he mentioned that as a software developer, it is rather obvious that you would prefer to be in a “perfect” team environment, where everyone fulfils the role, that they specialise in, this will, in contrast, result in a quicker, more organised process that will end up with an application of exceptional quality, due to the input of every member’s specialty. Mr. R00tdvd also mentions a software that seems to be rather popular in the world of software development, “JIRA”, this software is a task allocation application, that is used in large organisations, to allocate tasks and track the different “stories”(phases) that the application/program is passing through, he also touches on a certain procedure that is completed preceding the creation of the application, this is the process in which all of the developers are to quote how complex they believe this application will be, this is also a rather subjective matter as this estimations foundation is based upon each developer’s expertise and experience in this field, the end complexity estimate will then be discussed among the developers in a simple meeting.
Another aspect of working in a team environment is a process named “PR”, and this put simply, is the last stage before the code that has been written, will be pushed to the main code. He explains the PR process to be a rather “pleasurable” one, as the code that is checked on your behalf, is returned with polite comments on what approaches and modifications that may be implemented, that will result in better code, this is indeed in the best of times. Alternatively, the PR may come back with quite demeaning comments, ones that may not uplift, nor edify the developer. Mr. R00tdvd explains that software developers are not to take this personally, and to consult the reviewer if there are any misunderstandings that may have occurred. Mr. R00tdvd, has elaborated on the common practices in the world of IT and how to implement certain unorthodox methods that would assist you to earn the favour of the tech lead. He mentioned briefly that discussing an issue with a higher position can, in the worst-case scenario, be of mutual benefit, but the best alternative, is to build relationships and develop communication skills, that would aid a developer to not have to experience this unpleasant process.
He mentions that in certain situations, it is not mutually beneficial to reveal your cognitive ability as it may not be perceived in the right way. The best way to make connections is to be humble, and reachable, and that winning the argument, may not necessarily mean winning over the person.
When it comes to selecting a team, Mr. R00tdvd, elaborates on the importance of choosing a team based on their ability to work with others, and not only their programming abilities. As there may be a team that is made up of five grade A students, and although this may be the case, it will not necessarily result in higher quality work. This is due to their possible inability to communicate in a mutually beneficial way, something may compromise the entire team spirit and hence be detrimental towards the common goal.
Mr. r00tdvd also confirms that his software development skills, were not the only concepts that he learnt at university, he also learnt about working with a team and how to select team members.
Eskreis-Winkler, Lauren and Milkman, Katherine L. and Gromet, Dena M. and Duckworth, Angela L.10.1073/pnas.1908779116 https://www.pnas.org/content/116/30/14808
Zacharopoulos, G., Sella, F., & Kadosh, R. C. (2021, June 15). The impact of a lack of mathematical education on brain development and future attainment. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/118/24/e2013155118
The term “Clouds” may be defined as virtual spaces through which you may complete certain tasks, such as file storage, email, website hosting etc. There are multiple solutions when it comes to clouds, you may possess your own, where you have control over it, but the costs you must pay for set up may vary from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, whereas if you pay for your cloud solution you must pay an ongoing fee such as a subscription, for having the service provided to you.
Provided that you pay for cloud services, the costs may be far more affordable than setting one up yourself, this is due to the fact that the company you pay, has the service and the infrastructure setup for hosting your cloud needs already. Full time (24/7) support is also available for the organisation paying for the service. Provided that it is supplied by a reputable company, if you have the time to search for the solution that you are after, you may be able to locate it within your own country for a more affordable price, rather than proceeding with said service from an international supplier.
There are multiple techniques regarding the use of cloud services these days and one main operation excluding email, file storage and web hosting of other services, is software development, this is where the files can be stored in order for people to be given access to files from anywhere in the world. In order to advance remote work, by eliminating the obligation of developers being required to reside locally. To give the developers the ability to collaborate effectively and to work on the same project remotely. Cloud systems may be deployed in dynamic environments such as public, private and hybrid cloud set ups.
A majority of cloud storage / servers are positioned in data centres all over the globe, by utilising modern innovative cloud computing, users and companies may run software that is consistently up to date due to the eradication of the strenuous necessity of constantly maintaining and managing physical servers to run the software themselves on the “machines/pc’s” that they use for work within the company as a result of cloud computing and the use of virtualisation it has indeed been made possible for companies to have up to date technology. This is because it has allowed pc’s to be either simulated or run off a cloud based “virtual” machine. This has been made possible due to the fact that the only required hardware to be on the pc is the very hardware that is connecting it to the cloud. Therefore, hardware requirements are exceptionally basic and affordable yet performance has exceeded what has ever been seen before.
In general practice, with clouds and cloud computing if one server experiences technical dropouts or difficulties, there are several others that are essentially on standby, based in data centres internationally, that have the ability to compensate for one or two servers going down. Cloud companies understand that this can be a common occurrence. Therefore, have placed data centres all over the world in a case where something may go wrong, and a server’s performance plummets or diminishes completely, from threats such as DDoS attacks, Natural Disasters, Terrorism etc.
According to (Data Flair, 2021) today we have the ability to connect everything digitally to Cloud Computing. This has allowed for the creation of many new jobs, applications, services and platforms. The future is seen as a combination of cloud-based software and on-premise compute helping advance hybrid IT solutions. An integral part of cloud computing moving forward will be organised process and better ways of processing data. Some of the predictions on cloud computing based off of current trends and usage include:
There are three main cloud service modes, these service modes consist of:
Services refers to the application of business and technical expertise to enable organisations in the creation, management, and optimisation of or access to information and business processes. The IT services market can be segmented by the type of skills that are employed to deliver the service (design, build, run). There are also various categories of service: business process services, application services and infrastructure services.
The term “service” can be related to what is listed in the above paragraph or to the following:
The term “server” refers to the running of a program, or to the process running on a platform, and also, refers to a device or devices dedicated to running several server programs, that create a platform / network of hardware. These then become a host or main server that can run web services such as email, web hosting, gaming servers for multiplayer games. The processing power of a server is better than running these services from a personal computer, that may not have the processes or hardware to handle the demand that a server can.
The main role of a server is to handle the load of sharing data to many clients (computers that connect to the server for retrieval of information or running of a program). This can be gaming servers for gaming, web email, websites that are hosted through a company that provide the service for use on the internet/network.
A server is a computer that acts as a central hub for information and/or as a central computer design to offload high (hardware) demand tasks from a client PC. Servers are prevalent in all types of businesses and in some homes acting as a media centre. Servers typically feature server-grade hardware which is designed with durability, reliability and longevity as priorities and thus conventionally costs more than consumer-grade hardware.
Servers are the physical form of storage that you can use to store information, files and run gaming servers, website hosting, some phone line systems for large companies (if they are using VoIP for their phone systems) etc. The problem with using VoIP is if internet difficulties occur, there is maintenance on the system for software/firmware upgrades or even server failure, the phone lines that use VoIP are compromised and will not function because of these issues.
According to (What is Robotics? What are Robots? Types & Uses of Robots. | Built In, 2021) Robotics is interdisciplinary section of science and engineering, which is heavily involved with the design, construction and use of mechanical robots. According to (Lu and Zhao, 2019) A robot is defined as a kind of machine which has sensors, actuators, and also has inside or outside central processing units (CPUs).
With technology progressing in every industry in the world, we can also see it developing in the field of robotics. Back in the early to mid-2000s, 90% of all robots were found assembling cars in factories, consisting mainly of mechanical arms tasked with welding or screwing on certain car parts. Robots have a clear advantage in life, to speed up the process of production, completing mundane tasks with more speed and precision than humans could ever hope to achieve.
With the latest developments we have seen the creation and use of robots to explore Earth’s harshest conditions, assisting law-enforcement and helping in almost every facet of healthcare. As the designs and uses of robots expand, we see some common characteristics that are consistent:
Found in (What is Robotics? What are Robots? Types & Uses of Robots. | Built In, 2021) as artificial intelligence and software are progressing, they are pushing along the robotics industry as well. Robots will continue to get smarter, more flexible and more energy efficient with more advances in these technologies. The robotics industry is promising more progress, from the deepest parts of the ocean, to the vast unexplored reaches of space, robots will perform tasks that humans couldn’t dream of achieving alone.
There are many shapes and sizes to effectively carry out the various tasks that the robots were designed for. From the 0.2 millimetre-long “RoboBee” to the 200-meter-long robotic shipping vessel “Vindskip”, robots are emerging to carry out a large variety of tasks. Generally, there are five types of robots:
According to (AI and the robotics revolution, 2021) Robotics and AI systems are helping humans with vacuuming, grocery shopping even with self-driving cars and booking our appointments for us. The biggest question with AI and robotics is how do we make sure they help society, instead of harming us.
We have been getting help with our work from machines for a while now. While technology has been increasing humanity has moved from mostly working in fields, then to factories and now we are in offices. Tasks that were physically demanding, tedious or dangerous we have built machines to take over from humans for us.
In previous massive shifts the machines we used to help humans move away from jobs have typically been great in narrowly defined, predictable work, however, recently we’ve shifted to developing intelligent machines which can learn. In certain cases, with correct training and data they’re better at making decisions than humans. Humans can be irrational when making decisions, with large data sets and computers powerful enough to process it, they could be much better at decision making.
Whilst robots can have great beneficial impacts to society, it is a controversial topic in how many jobs are being affected/lost to automation and robotics. (Rodgers III and Freeman, 2019) Whilst, much has been written about the potential impacts of automation on an economy, most analysis tends to be prospective, and estimates on future impacts on employment are widely varied and mostly unknown. Some studies predict 50% of all workers could lose their job to automation.
From (How Robots Change the World - What automation really means for jobs, productivity and regions, 2021) as fast paced technologies advance with automation, engineering, energy storage, AI and machine learning, the robotics revolution is rapidly accelerating. Trends suggest that the growth of robots in the next 20 years, will reach 20 million by 2030, with China having 14 million themselves.
This rise of robots will boost productivity and economic growth, leading to the creation of more new jobs in industries that don’t exist yet. However, an estimated 20 million manufacturing jobs are expected to be lost to robots by 2030. This will seriously disrupt existing business models in many sectors. Lower-skilled workers and poorer local economies will be disproportionately affected by these job losses.
According to (Rise of the Machines: The Future has Lots of Robots, 2021) robots are not only in the manufacturers’ workplace, they are expanding skills, moving up the corporate ladder, with awesome productivity results and retention rates, all while increasingly winning against their human counterparts. Some examples of this are a multi-tasking robot which can flip gourmet burgers in 10 seconds, hence, an entire McDonald's crew could be replaced with this.
Although there is a scary side to robotics in that it reduces job opportunities and may reduce job pay in some cases. Teamed up with AI in the next few years robotics could greatly increase the average standard of living. Found here (Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence - Future of Life Institute, 2021) in the near term, goals to keep AI’s impact on society, beneficial, motivates research in many areas. Some of these areas include; economics and law technical topics like verification, validity, security and control. It’s very important that AI systems do what we want them to do, whether that be controlling your car, your airplane, pacemaker, automated trading system or your power grid.
Also, according to (Merritt, 2019) the top five ways robots are affecting human lives right now;
