Trends in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Discuss about the Artificial Intelligence and Social Networks.
The use of artificial intelligence in the society has increased nowadays. According to Papadimitriou (2016), artificial intelligence involves not only the use of robotics but also systems that use algorithms to perform human-like functions. This explanation was used to dispel the assumption that artificial intelligence entailed the use of human-like robots only. The trend of using AI has grown due to the introduction of computers in the 1990s (Papadimitriou 2016). The use of AI has impacted various fields of the society such as business, communication, and health. For example, it has allowed the use of an algorithm that can predict market trends (Papadimitriou 2016). This essay explores the trends in the doctors, teachers and taxi drivers’ occupations and reveals that AI and robotics do not affect labor supply and demand.
In the future, the use of artificial intelligence and robotics may make the society worse. Elon Musk has warned about the future adverse effects of using AI (Finlay 2017). According to Finlay (2017), the use of AI may make it easier for humans to be controlled due to overreliance. Presently, AI is preferred because it can make decisions better compared to humans. For example, some companies use AI in the hiring process, and it is used in radiology to determine cancer signs (Finlay 2017). Additionally, these systems gather information about its users that it can use to manipulate them, which makes them dangerous. Ultimately, the use of AI could make it easier for those who control AI to oppress the rest.
On the other hand, the use of artificial intelligence and robotics could lead to a better society in the future. Based on growth theory, the replacement of labor with AI and robotics systems increases capital share and economic growth (Masayuki 2016). The benefits result from the minimization of human errors, which improves productivity. According to Masayuki (2016), replacing labor with AI and robotics entirely may have adverse effects, but such replacement cannot be witnessed soon. This assessment reveals that AI makes society better.
Overall, the use of artificial intelligence and robotics makes society better despite the risk of being controlled by machines mentioned earlier. The use of AI and robotics could be beneficial, which means policies that protect humans from the harmful effects need to be developed. Ultimately, the use of modern technology is unavoidable, and it aims to make society better. Frey and Osborne (2017) state that the use of AI may replace approximately 40 percent of the jobs in the U.S. Despite this replacement, Masayuki (2016) predicts that new occupations will be created and human beings can protect themselves through upgrading human capital. This assessment proves that the use of AI and robotics has its negative impacts, but it will make society better in the future management.
Positive and Negative Effects of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
The medical profession of Australia comprises of general doctors and specialists. Presently, there is an oversupply of general doctors in Australia. Patty (2017) predicted that the oversupply was due to the migration of overseas doctors. Additionally, the rate of growth of the medical profession has been more than the Australian’s aging population. For instance, in 2011, the number of doctors was 70,200, and in April 2018 it was 114, 675 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013; Medical Board of Australia 2018). The number of male doctors is more than the female doctors by 7 percent. In 2011, 47 percent of the general doctors were female, but in 2018 51 percent are female (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013; Medical Board of Australia 2018). This analysis shows that the number of female doctors has increased. Majority of the doctors in Australia are aged between thirty and thirty-four years (Medical Board of Australia 2018).
Historically, male doctors have always been more than female doctors. In 1986, approximately 20 percent of the general doctors were female. Presently, as mentioned earlier female doctors are less but with a lesser percentage (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). From 1971 to 2001, the population size of doctors in Australia has doubled, but the distribution has not been even (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003a). Majority of these doctors were located in the urban areas. The fastest growth in population was witnessed in the 1970s, and afterward, the growth slowed (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003a). The slow growth was due to the implementation of policies that favored the increase of specialists, not general doctors. In addition, the population of doctors comprises of doctors who were trained overseas (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). In the 1970s, a majority of the doctors were not trained overseas. Generally, the demographical change of Australian doctors is depicted by the difference of the general population and female doctors.
The population of Australian doctors may change in the future. According to the Australian Government (2010), the aging population is expected to increase until 2050 by 10 percent. The aging population leads to the increase in the demand for doctors. Majority of the doctors will still be trained immigrants because the labor force in Australia is expected to decrease due to the aging population. Presently, there is an oversupply of doctors, and some leaders are recommending that the immigration of doctors should reduce. If that happens, in the long run, Australia may experience a shortfall because demand is expected to increase. Additionally, Australia is aware that it cannot rely on migration to support its health sector. The composition of doctors will change if the majority are not trained overseas. Generally, the number of doctors in the country may continue to increase.
Australian Doctors’ Occupation
The number of teachers in Australia has been on an upward trend. Between the 1980s and 2002, the number of teachers in primary and secondary schools increased by 24 percent from 118,500 to 225,400 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003b). The increase was due to the government’s efforts to improve the number of resources allocated to each student. As a result, in primary school, the student/teacher ratio reduced by 18 percent (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003b). In 2003, the supply of teachers was roughly equal to the demand although some rural areas faced insufficient supply. In 2001, the majority of the teachers were aged above 45 years, which was an increase of 27 percent from 1986 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003b). Additionally, approximately 25 percent of the teachers were aged below thirty-five years in 2001. The number of female teachers was more than the male teachers in 2001. The number of female teachers has increased consistently since the 1970s.
The number of teachers in Australia is expected to increase until 2020. According to Weldon (2015), the increased demand is due to an increase in the population of children. The ratio of female to male teachers has remained the same since the 1970s, and it is not expected to change. In fact, in 2015, approximately 42 percent of the teachers in secondary schools were male (Weldon 2015). In addition, the ratio of male to female teachers in these schools depends on the subjects. Male teachers are the majority in mathematics and physics subjects while female teachers mostly teach English (Weldon 2015). Additionally, the majority of these male teachers are aged above fifty years. According to McKenzie et al. (2014), in 2014, the average age of all teachers was approximately 40 years. The advanced age of the teachers indicates that soon their demand will increase.
The situation of the teaching profession in Australia is going to change significantly. For instance, the demand for teachers may increase because a majority of them are aged above forty years. As mentioned earlier, the aging population is expected to continue until 2060, and it may affect the composition of the teachers. Presently, most of the teachers were born in Australia (McKenzie et al. 2014). If the Australian government decides to allow the immigration of young teachers the demographical characteristics of the profession will change. Over the years, the female teachers have been more than the male teachers and that situation may not change. However, the male teachers in primary schools may become extinct by 2060s. McGrath and Bergen (2017) state that male teachers have decreased by 10 percent since the 1970s in primary schools. This shows that the population of male teachers in Australian schools will undergo significant changes depending on the policies the government sets.
Australian Teachers’ Occupation
The demography of the taxi drivers has changed since the 1990s. According to KPMG (2009), the industry mainly comprises of male drivers because the female drivers prefer other occupations. The population of male drivers has increased by 2 percent since the 1990s. In 2009, most of these drivers were old and the percentage of those who were older than sixty years had increased by 13 percent (KPMG 2009). The increase in the number of elderly drivers is due to the aging population. In the 1990s, taxi drivers were mainly aged between 40 and 45 years (KPMG 2009). Some states experienced an increase in the number of young taxi drivers since the 1990s. For example, in Victoria, it increased by five percent (KPMG 2009). The increase can be attributed to the presence of quality education in the universities in these states, which attracts international students. The international students drive such cars to pay for their tuition management.
Traditionally, the taxi industry was comprised of immigrants. Between the 1990s and 2006, the number of Australian-born taxi drivers reduced by 18 percent from 56 percent to 38 percent (KPMG 2009). The change was a result of the presence of more immigrants in 2006 than in the 1990s. According to KPMG (2009), most of the taxi drivers that were born overseas arrived before the 1980s. This finding shows that migration began in the 1970s and most of the immigrants chose to use taxis to earn income. Initially, the majority of these drivers were from the U.K. However, over the years, there has been a change, and majority of them are from India (KPMG 2009). In addition, the period between the 1990s and 2006 led to the increase in the number of Chinese immigrants. Regarding language, the native English language speakers reduced by 20 percent from the 1990s to 2006 (KPMG 2009).
In the future, the taxi drivers’ profession will undergo significant changes. According to Deloitte (2016), the taxi industry in Australia is undergoing changes related to policies and technology. For example, taxi drivers prefer the use of mobile booking to attract customers compared to the traditional methods. Additionally, the industry has new concepts such as ridesharing that allow those who have cars to be in the taxi industry. The use of Uber services also shows that the traditional methods may not be useful in future. The industry will change because the government had started restricting the number of immigrants. Moreover, the number of international students has reduced because of the expensive tuition fee (KPMG 2009). If this trend continues, the composition of the taxi driver will change since most of the members are immigrants. Eventually, the population will increase due to the increase in the aging population.
Australian Taxi Drivers’ Occupation
Conclusion
One of the implications for the employees today is that professions change. Over the years, the doctors, teachers and taxi drivers have witnessed changes in the demand and supply of labor due to population changes. This information is useful to the other employees because they learn that change is inevitable. Therefore, employees should learn how to cope with change and observe trends in their industry to prepare for such changes. It also shows that technology does not eliminate jobs but makes then easier by automating some of the tasks such as using Uber. Embracing change also makes employees more productive since they do not waste energy resisting it.
Another implication for the employees is that organizations can change who they hired. From the analysis, the number of female employees in all occupations has increased from the 1970s to the present. Moreover, some professions such as teaching have had more female employees. Despite this, the number of female employees is still low in most jobs. For example, doctors and taxi drivers are mostly male. The increase of female employees indicates the willingness of employers to adapt to change. It can be argued that in the future women will be valuable assets for companies too.
One of the implications for the leaders and managers is that population affects the workforce. From the analysis, an aging population reduces the labor supply in the market and forces the country to rely on immigrants. Managers need to analyze population trends of a country to know whether labor will be affected positively or negatively. This information is useful for strategic planning. Another implication is that the use of AI and robotics does not necessarily mean that human beings will lose their source of livelihood. From the analysis, the reason for changes in the occupation is attributed to the changes in population. Therefore, managers should use this knowledge to advocate for the use of technology.
The last implication for the managers is that the government controls the supply and demand of labor in most professionals. From the analysis, Australia relies heavily on immigrants except in the teaching profession. The government can reduce the overreliance through the use of policies that reduce the number of immigrants. This information is beneficial to the managers because they can request the government to regulate the supply and demand of labor to avoid adverse effects of the shifts. For example, reducing the immigrant doctors would reduce the oversupply of doctors currently being experienced.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003a. Australian Social Trends: Medical practitioners. [online] Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/2a7c6e498f342fb2ca2570eb008398cb!OpenDocument. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003b. Education and work: School teachers. [online] Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/459c3882fad473a2ca2570eb0083be84!OpenDocument. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013. Australian Social Trends: Doctors and Nurses. [online] Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features20April+2013#endnote1. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
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Deloitte 2016. Economic effects of ridesharing in Australia. Available from: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/au/Documents/Economics/deloitte-au-economics-economic-effects-of-ridesharing-australia-150216.pdf. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Finlay, S. 2017. We should be as scared of artificial intelligence as Elon Musk is. [online] Fortune. Available from: https://fortune.com/2017/08/18/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence-risk/ [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Frey, C.B. & Osborne, M.A. 2017. The future of employment: how susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, pp.254-280.
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Masayuki, M. 2016. The Effects of artificial intelligence and robotics on business and employment: Evidence from a survey on Japanese firms. The Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry.
McGrath, K. & Bergen, V.P. 2017. Male teachers are an endangered species in Australia: new research. [online] The Conversation. Available from: research https://theconversation.com/male-teachers-are-an-endangered-species-in-australia-new-research-83464. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
McKenzie, P., Weldon, P.R., Rowley, G., Murphy, M. & McMillan, J. 2014. Staff in Australia’s schools 2013: Main report on the survey. Acer’s Transitions and Post School Education and Training Research Program.
Medical Board of Australia 2018. Registrant data 2018. Available from: https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/News/Statistics.aspx. [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Papadimitriou, A. 2016. The future of communication: Artificial intelligence and social networks. Malmö University.
Patty, A. 2017. Forecast oversupply of doctors to hit this year amid calls to halt imports. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available from: https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/forecast-oversupply-of-doctors-to-hit-this-year-amid-calls-to-halt-imports-20170103-gtle76.html [Accessed 22 May 2018].
Weldon, P.R. 2015. The teacher workforce in Australia: Supply, demand and data issues. Australian Council for Educational Research.
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