Debate on AI's Role as Job Killer or Assistant Gains Momentum
The ongoing discussion only underlines the uncertainties surrounding AI's future role in the workforce.
Last week, the debate surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) over whether it would evolve as a job killer or just a smart assistant seems to have intensified in many parts of the world. People are divided on whether AI advancements will lead to massive job displacement or whether they will primarily serve as helpful assistants, enhancing human capabilities. To me, this ongoing debate reflects the uncertainties and challenges associated with the rapid evolution of AI technology and its potential implications for the future of work and society as a whole.
There were also some more reports coming in of AI taking over some more human jobs, as compared to previous months. So here’s the weekly “AI Job Impact Indicator”
In Today’s Newsletter:
Reuters Report: Increasing Number of Corporates Display Enthusiasm for AI Adoption
OpenAI's Sam Altman Firmly States: "Jobs Are Bound to Disappear"
Widespread Benefits of AI Boom Elude Majority of the US
AI's Integral Role in Job Roles: Revolutionizing Industries and Empowering Professionals
Pew Study Shows Uneven Impact on American Jobs
Unintended Consequences of AI in the Workplace: An In-depth Look
Google Introduces Robotics Transformer 2
US is No: 1 in AI followed by China and Singapore
Study Reveals AI Poses Greater Challenges for Women Workers Than Men
US co and UAE Group Offer New Approach to AI Compute
Business Leaders Shift Focus: Prioritizing Safe and Responsible AI Adoption
Collaboration Between Meta and 'India AI' on AI
MIT Researchers Develop “PhotoGuard”, a Tool to Prevent Image Manipulation
Also: Events, TopPicks and AI Job Impact Indicator
More Corporates Show Eagerness in Deploying AI: Reuters Report
A Reuters analysis has found that companies disclosing their latest quarterly earnings displayed increased interest in AI compared to the previous quarter. For instance, during Intel's recent call, AI was mentioned 58 times, a significant rise from just 15 mentions in April.
Likewise, Alphabet's recent analyst call saw a rise in AI mentions, reaching 62 times, up from 52 mentions three months prior. Microsoft also exhibited a similar trend, discussing AI 58 times, compared to 35 in the previous call.
The analysis revealed that over a third of S&P 500 companies brought up AI during recent conference calls, representing an increase from about a quarter in the first quarter (Q1).
Overall, the terms "AI" or "artificial intelligence" were spoken 827 times in recent weeks, with an average of 3.7 mentions per call, more than double the 1.8 mentions in the previous quarter.
Notably, discussions about AI have been prominently led by tech giants, but even non-tech companies like Moody's and S&P Global have underscored their efforts in integrating AI into their risk assessment software and other offerings.
Red flag: While the Reuters report may underline the “eagerness” of corporates, readers may recollect that my previous week’s newsletter spoke of how there was a noticeable gap emerging between the intent to implement AI and creating the funds to do so. If you missed that, here’s the link
Source: reuters.com
OpenAI's Sam Altman Asserts: "Jobs Will Definitely Disappear"
CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman was in the headlines once again after he expressed concerns about AI's impact on jobs and warned about the potential risks of highly advanced and autonomous AI systems. OpenAI is actively preparing for the emergence of powerful AI agents beyond human control, which could have significant consequences. Other influential figures in AI have also shared similar warnings.
Despite acknowledging the impact on employment, Altman believes that AI will bring about a major disruption in the job market within the next few years.
Source: marketinginstitute.com
AI Boom Leaves Majority of the US Behind: Widespread Benefits Still Elusive
A recent report by the Brookings Institution warned that AI-related job opportunities were increasingly concentrated in specific regions across the United States, with San Francisco taking the lead.
According to the study, approximately 60% of new generative AI openings can be found in just 15 metropolitan areas. Notably, nearly half of all generative AI job postings from the past year were concentrated in cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle.
Brookings emphasized the need for state and local governments to act swiftly in embracing the AI sector to ensure that the economic benefits of this booming industry are more evenly distributed. Taking proactive steps to foster AI development and job growth can help extend the advantages of the AI boom beyond the current concentrated pockets.
Source: brookings.edu, LinkedIn
Thanks for reading “AI For Real”. There are two versions of this newsletter - Free and Paid. If you press the “Subscribe” tab, it will get you your free subscription. But that will fetch you the bare basics. To grab the entire bundle that comes with this newsletter, it would be better if you become a Paid subscriber. That will fetch you an awesome experience, as spelled out here.
AI's Integral Role in Job Roles: Revolutionizing Industries and Empowering Professionals
SDAD Technology, a prominent digital marketing agency out of India, recently highlighted AI's positive impact on job roles by streamlining tasks, reducing errors, and providing valuable data insights. This new technology has become a pivotal aspect of job roles in diverse industries, driving significant transformations in business operations, according to the agency. AI’s key advantage lies in automation, freeing human resources from repetitive tasks to focus on strategic activities, enhancing efficiency, and boosting productivity through data analysis.
Predictive capabilities of AI aid in making informed decisions, optimizing resource allocation, and anticipating market trends. SDAD said as AI continues to evolve, embracing this transformative technology is vital for professionals and organizations to stay competitive and relevant in today's job market, as its integration will continue shaping various sectors.
Source: tradeflock.com
Pew Research Center Study Reveals Uneven Impact on American Jobs
A study by Pew Research Center titled “Which U.S. Workers Are More Exposed to AI on Their Jobs?” has shown that approximately 20% of American workers had jobs with "high exposure" to artificial intelligence. These included positions like budget analysts, data entry keyers, tax preparers, technical writers, and web developers. These workers were more likely to be women, white or Asian, higher earners, and have a college degree.
However, the actual impact of AI on these jobs remains uncertain, said the Institute. As AI, exemplified by the popular chatbot ChatGPT, becomes more prevalent, concerns about potential job displacement arise.
Some of the findings:
In 2022, 19% of American workers were in jobs that are the most exposed to AI, in which the most important activities may be either replaced or assisted by AI.
23% of workers have jobs that are the least exposed to AI, in which the most important activities are farther from the reach of AI. Other workers, nearly six-in-ten in all, are likely to have varying levels of exposure to AI.
Jobs with a high level of exposure to AI tend to be in higher-paying fields where a college education and analytical skills can be a plus.
Certain groups of workers have higher levels of exposure to AI
Those with more education: Workers with a bachelor’s degree or more (27%) are more than twice as likely as those with a high school diploma only (12%) to see the most exposure.
Women: A greater share of women (21%) than men (17%) are likely to see the most exposure to AI. This is because of differences in the types of jobs held by men and women.
Asian and White: Asian (24%) and White (20%) workers are more exposed than Black (15%) and Hispanic (13%) workers.
Higher-wage workers: In 2022, workers in the most exposed jobs earned $33 per hour, on average, compared with $20 in jobs with the least amount of exposure.
Workers seem more hopeful than concerned about the impact of AI on their jobs
The survey also found that many US workers in more exposed industries did not feel their jobs were at risk – they were more likely to say AI will help more than hurt them personally. For instance, 32% of workers in information and technology said AI would help more than hurt them personally, compared with 11% who said it would hurt more than it helped.
Source: cnbc.com, pewresearch.org
Unintended Consequences of AI in the Workplace: An In-depth Look
Very few realize that the rise of AI tools may have promised increased workplace productivity but it does come with unintended consequences.
Industries like publishing have been flooded with AI-generated content, most of them rubbish, leading to additional manual work, according to some publishers. AI's impact varies across industries, creating challenges and burdens in some sectors. While big tech companies invest heavily in AI-powered tools, their adoption may not always reduce workloads or increase efficiency for everyone. Despite the potential benefits, the reality of AI in the workplace involves tradeoffs and complexities.
This article by cnn.com looks at the issue in depth.
Source: cnn.com
Google Introduces Robotics Transformer 2: World's First Vision-Language-Action Model Revolutionizes Robotic Capabilities
Exciting news from Google! It has unveiled the Robotics Transformer 2 (RT-2), a groundbreaking vision-language-action (VLA) model, the first of its kind in the world. This network is trained on a combination of text and images extracted from the web, enabling it to generate robotic actions directly with only a small amount of robot training data.
What sets the RT-2 model apart is its ability to comprehend complex commands effortlessly. For instance, when given the instruction "throw away the trash," the model exhibits sophisticated reasoning by recognizing that a consumed banana peel becomes trash and then autonomously grasping the concept of discarding it, even without explicit training for this specific task.
During rigorous trials, the RT-2 model proved its mettle, showing a significant performance boost in handling unseen scenarios compared to its previous version. In fact, it achieved twice the effectiveness, showcasing its potential for groundbreaking advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Source: Google blog
US is No: 1 in AI followed by China and Singapore
The United States remains the global leader in AI, closely followed by China. Singapore has also made significant strides in AI, propelled by government efforts to foster innovation, research, and human capital in the field. The Tortoise Global AI Index underscores the importance of continued investment and regulation to harness AI's potential for societal and economic benefits while highlighting countries excelling and those lagging in AI development.
The 4th update of the Tortoise Index shows which countries are currently leading the global AI race and why. Private investment in AI has skyrocketed to $18 billion in the first quarter of 2023, doubling the previous quarter's figure of $9.7 billion. This surge in generative AI has disrupted the power dynamics among major technology companies and opened new opportunities for innovation across sectors. Consequently, there is a growing urgency for regulatory measures to manage the impact of AI.
Europe is fast-tracking negotiations for the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, aiming to establish the first comprehensive AI law. Similarly, the United States has increased its budget for AI research and development by 13% in 2022, acknowledging the transformative power of AI in business, government, and society.
To better understand the global AI landscape, the Tortoise Global AI Index evaluates countries' AI capacity, considering factors such as population, economy size, industrial environment, AI commercial ventures, open-source contributions, and AI-related patents.
Source: tortoisemedia.com
Exciting Opportunities for Newsletter Sponsorship!
Discover available ad and sponsorship slots for this newsletter by clicking on this link. Explore the various packages to find the perfect fit for your brand.
If you would like further information, please don't hesitate to contact me. Let's collaborate and customize the best deal tailored to your specific needs. Click on the tab above or write to marketing (at) newagecontentservices.com
Women Workers Face More Challenges Because of AI Then Men: Study
So, there's this new report from McKinsey that says women workers might face some challenges because of AI. They predict that women are 1.5 times more likely to have to find a new job in the future because of AI. It's because many women currently work in jobs that machines, like customer service or office support, might replace.
The report also mentions that Black and Hispanic workers could be affected too, especially in the food and production industries where they work a lot. Overall, they say around 12 million people might need to change jobs by 2030 because of AI, automation, and other issues.
It's essential to stay informed about these changes and think about how it might impact different groups of people. Technology is advancing, and it's good to know what's happening in the job market. Let's keep an eye out for updates and how we can adapt to these changes!
Source: mckinsey.com
US co and UAE Group Offer New Approach to AI Compute
US-based Cerebras Systems, the pioneer in accelerating generative AI, and G42, the UAE-based technology holding group, have announced “Condor Galaxy”, a network of nine interconnected supercomputers, offering a new approach to AI computing that promises to significantly reduce AI model training time.
The first AI supercomputer on this network, Condor Galaxy 1 (CG-1), has 4 exaFLOPs and 54 million cores. Cerebras and G42 are planning to deploy two more such supercomputers, CG-2 and CG-3, in the U.S. in early 2024. With a planned capacity of 36 exaFLOPs in total, this unprecedented supercomputing network will revolutionize the advancement of AI globally.
Located in Santa Clara, California, CG-1 links 64 Cerebras CS-2 systems together into a single, easy-to-use AI supercomputer, with an AI training capacity of 4 exaFLOPs. Cerebras and G42 offer CG-1 as a cloud service, allowing customers to enjoy the performance of an AI supercomputer without having to manage or distribute models over physical systems.
Source: cerebras.net
Business Leaders Shift Focus: Prioritizing Safe and Responsible AI Adoption
In today's business landscape, the question is not just about adopting AI but adopting it in a manner that ensures safety, reliability, and alignment with human values.
Despite the pressing need for AI governance solutions, a new survey of the AI governance ecosystem has revealed that the landscape of software tools enabling secure AI deployment for enterprises was still in its early stages.
This post gives the details of the survey and also delves into recent advancements in AI Alignment, Management, and Safety, which is a crucial aspect of layer 3: 'Build.' The focus is on the rapidly evolving regulatory environment and spotlighting companies that aid enterprises in implementing responsible AI strategies.
Source: insightpartners.com
‘AI For Real’ Has Its Own Page On LinkedIn. Join, Now.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@aiforreal
Generative AI Advancements Spark Collaboration Between Meta and 'India AI'
Recent breakthroughs in generative AI have sparked discussions about their potential to drive innovation and provide real-world solutions.
In a move towards promoting openness in AI, Meta has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 'India AI,' an independent business unit operating under Digital India Corporation (DIC), a part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in the Government of India. The collaboration aims to foster cooperation in the realm of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.
Through this partnership, a framework of collaboration will be established between 'India AI' and Meta, allowing for the exchange of ideas and resources in AI and Emerging Technologies. One of the key aspects of this cooperation is to make Meta's open-source AI models available for utilization by the Indian AI ecosystem.
This collaboration signals a strong commitment towards advancing AI innovation and knowledge-sharing in India's technological landscape.
Source: about.fb.com
Every week, I tell readers of some interesting write-ups, podcasts and videos on AI in “Top Picks”.
Challenging the Traditional Approach: Why Robots.txt Falls Short in Managing Data Usage for LLMs in the Age of Generative AI Products
This article in Search Engine Land challenges the notion of relying on robots.txt as a suitable method for managing data usage in the era of generative AI products.
It contends that relying solely on robots.txt is ineffective for managing data usage in LLMs. Instead, it suggests considering the various Creative Commons licenses as a more suitable approach to address copyright and credit concerns when training LLMs for generative AI products.
MIT Researchers Develop “PhotoGuard”, a Tool to Prevent Image Manipulation
I feel this one is a must for almost all of us who live in the digital world. Researchers at MIT have developed a promising solution called PhotoGuard to tackle the issue of image manipulation. This tool acts as a protective shield by making imperceptible alterations to photos, rendering them resistant to manipulative editing. Named "immunized" images, they appear normal to the human eye but look unrealistic or warped when subjected to editing apps based on generative AI models like Stable Diffusion.
According to Hadi Salman, a Ph.D. researcher at MIT involved in the research, the current state allows anyone to modify images at will, potentially leading to unfavorable and harmful situations, including blackmail. However, PhotoGuard offers hope in countering this problem. The research was recently presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning.
AI & Big Data Expo is the leading event for Enterprise AI, Machine Learning, Security, Ethical AI, Deep Learning, Data Ecosystems, and NLP.
Click here to register.