Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?

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I analyse the risks, opportunities and concrete impacts of artificial intelligence on society and everyday life. Since joining SWI swissinfo.ch in 2020, I translate the complexity of science and technology into stories that speak to a global audience. Born in Milan to an Italian-Egyptian family, I have been passionate about knowledge and writing since childhood. I worked between Milan and Paris as a multilingual editor for technology magazines before transitioning to international journalism with SWI swissinfo.ch.

Italiano

L’intelligenza artificiale è un vantaggio o uno svantaggio per i lavoratori e le lavoratrici? Original
Português

IA: risco ou aliada do trabalhador?
Русский

Искусственный интеллект: шанс или угроза?

More and more companies, including in Switzerland, are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve productivity, efficiency and profits. But how does the use of this technology affect employees?

While some people have already reported losing their jobs and being replaced by AI, others have said that the use of software such as ChatGPT has improved their daily work routine and saved them time.

What do you think? Is AI being used in your workplace? What is your experience? Take part in the debate!

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Swiss employees less protected from AI risks than in the EU

This content was published on Aug 10, 2024 In Switzerland, AI is already being used to boost companies’ profits and productivity. However, employees face fewer protections compared to other European countries.

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gh.davani 2024-11-18 10:06

Whether artificial intelligence (AI) is an advantage or a disadvantage for workers depends on various factors, such as the industry, the specific type of work, the approach to implementation, and the broader economic and social context. There are both positive and negative aspects to consider:

Advantages of AI for Workers:
Increased Efficiency and Productivity:

AI can automate repetitive, mundane tasks, allowing workers to focus on more complex, creative, or strategic aspects of their jobs. This can lead to higher productivity and more rewarding work.
By streamlining operations, AI can help businesses operate more efficiently, potentially leading to cost savings that could be reinvested into innovation or employee benefits.
Job Creation in New Fields:

As AI grows, new job roles and entire industries are emerging. These include jobs in AI development, data analysis, robotics maintenance, AI ethics, and other tech-related fields. Workers with the right skills can capitalize on these opportunities.
Improved Safety:

In hazardous environments (like mining, manufacturing, or healthcare), AI-driven robots or automated systems can take on dangerous tasks, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries for human workers.
Better Decision-Making:

AI can analyze vast amounts of data quickly, providing insights that can support workers in decision-making. For example, AI tools can assist in research, forecasting, and problem-solving, which can be particularly valuable in fields like healthcare, finance, and customer service.
Personalization of Work and Learning:

AI can help personalize training programs, allowing workers to upskill more efficiently by providing tailored learning experiences that meet their specific needs and career goals.
Disadvantages of AI for Workers:
Job Displacement:

One of the most commonly cited concerns is the potential for AI to replace human workers in certain industries. Automation of tasks that were once performed by humans—such as in manufacturing, customer service, and transportation—could lead to significant job losses, particularly for low-skill workers.
Skill Gaps and Reskilling Challenges:

As AI and automation evolve, workers may need new skills to stay relevant in the workforce. This shift can be challenging for individuals without access to training or education. Those who cannot transition to new roles may find themselves left behind in an increasingly tech-driven job market.
Wage Polarization:

AI could contribute to greater inequality, as high-skill workers (e.g., those in AI development or data science) may benefit from higher wages, while low-skill workers may face stagnating or declining wages as their roles become automated. This could widen the wage gap and lead to social unrest.
Dehumanization of Work:

In some industries, AI could lead to more impersonal, algorithm-driven processes that reduce human interaction or creativity in the workplace. This might lower job satisfaction and could negatively impact mental well-being, especially if workers feel like they are being "replaced" or monitored by machines.
Surveillance and Privacy Concerns:

AI tools used for monitoring and optimizing worker productivity, such as employee surveillance software, could raise concerns about privacy and worker autonomy. Excessive monitoring can lead to stress, decreased morale, and a feeling of being controlled by the system.
How to Mitigate the Negative Impacts:
To ensure that AI is more of an advantage than a disadvantage for workers, it is crucial to:

Invest in education and reskilling programs: Workers need to be supported in learning new skills, especially those that complement AI, like creative thinking, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.
Adopt policies that support workers' transitions: Governments and businesses can help by creating safety nets, like unemployment insurance, and by facilitating job retraining programs to ensure that workers who lose jobs to automation can find new ones.
Foster collaboration between AI and workers: AI should be viewed as a tool to augment human capabilities, not replace them. This requires a mindset shift from fear of job loss to viewing AI as an enabler of better work experiences.
Encourage responsible AI deployment: Businesses and governments should ensure that AI is implemented ethically, with attention to its social impact, to avoid unintended consequences such as mass unemployment or deepening inequality.
in short summarized-AI can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for workers, depending largely on how it is introduced and managed. If used thoughtfully, it has the potential to create more fulfilling, productive, and safer work environments. However, AI could exacerbate unemployment and inequality if implemented without consideration for workers' well-being and the need for upskilling. Ultimately, its impact will depend on the collective actions of governments, businesses, and workers to adapt to this rapidly changing landscape.

ABCFEFG 2024-10-22 02:14

AI will bring both advantages and disadvantages to workers - some new professions will arise, others will disappear, some tasks will be automatised. And while we can plan for the advantages, such as seeking solutions to well known tasks, unfortunately most disadvantages will find us unprepared. The recent chemistry Nobel prize provides an example, although in a field not broadly familiar (protein structure prediction) of an extraordinary and fast accomplishment. The true disadvantage will not be to make some tasks or professions anachronistic, but to potentially lead us to situations beyond our control.

Engler91 2024-10-19 13:28

AI will not replace humans. Although it’s quite impressive to see what they can do for you, I wonder what it would be like to put side a side two people with no experience with AI bots: one highly educated in medicine and another who barely finished high school. Then you ask these two to perform a research on a given medical topic (don’t give them the research question in forehand). The results will probably show that AI cannot do everything for you - the one with medical training will certainly perform much better results.

Further, you put two individuals with medical training side a side, one of them with training in AI use as well, the other not. The results will probably be that the one with training in AI will perform much better results than the one who didn’t have.

Conclusion: embrace change.

josephzucc 2024-10-17 20:16

As it happens with all technologies humans have created and build, IA would be what humans want it to be, how designed, program and follow the rules ( like IA European Act ) or not following any rules. Or just greeding, profit and so on. Technologie ( anyone of that Social Networks, Radio, Telephone, Powder, Rails, et cetera ) are not bad from himself, but for the original porpouse of the builder on the newtwork, organisation, structural and design planning. So dont blame IA, blame ourselfs on not building, designing and implementing the right way for IA

Bill Young 2024-10-02 15:58

The jobs most at risk from AI are those which have already been reduced to something close to the level of 'bots' by the overuse of formulaic practices even in fields that once claimed to require human creativity .
Journalism is the obvious example.
It seems that AI has little difficulty identifying, learning and reproducing the mechanical configuration of all forms of writing that have evolved in order to minimise costs.

Anonymous 2024-10-16 16:35

@Bill Young

CHAT GPT Replies:
Ah, the old "AI will turn us all into robots" argument—classic! It seems you've mistaken AI for some kind of creativity vacuum cleaner, sucking up everything that was once brilliant about journalism. But let’s pump the brakes on the dystopian panic for a second.

Sure, AI can churn out formulaic content faster than we can hit snooze on Monday mornings, but calling journalism "formulaic" is like saying all chefs do is follow recipes. Ever heard of investigative reporting, unique human perspectives, or asking the tough questions? AI isn’t exactly chasing down political scandals or debating the ethical nuances of pineapple on pizza.

AI may handle routine tasks like summarizing stock reports or listing 10 ways to improve your sleep (who knew #7 would be so life-changing?), but creativity thrives where human insight and experience are essential. Besides, AI might learn the "mechanical configuration" of writing, but unless the next big Pulitzer is awarded for “Top 5 Cat Memes Generated by a Neural Network,” I think our human journalists are safe for a while.

In fact, the real irony here is that you're using language formulas too! Even this very complaint about formulaic writing has been done a hundred times before—by humans, no less. Maybe AI is just mimicking us because, well, we’re not perfect either. The beauty of journalism isn't in its formulas but in the human heart that gives them life. You know, the heart that AI hasn't quite figured out how to replicate... yet.
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Me says: Yes be afraid, be very afraid...

Anonymous 2024-09-18 11:28

As with any new technology, you either join it or you lose it.
People who complain about changes are usually the ones who do not want change.
I have used AI extensively in my work place and also in my personal life.
In the workplace, AI can help find documents and cross references in emails, documents and websites.
In the personal space, AI can help me suggest itineraries for my vacations, improve my knowledge about unfamiliar topics which can be hard to google search.

Embrace it or lose it. That's your choice.

Anonymous 2024-09-12 20:36

POISON!!! if there ever was one!!!