Industry 4.0 and the New Social Challenges - There is no doubt that artificial intelligence and robotics will gradually replace millions of jobs

pipokinha (62)in #news • 8 years ago

The 4th Industrial Revolution, known as Industry 4.0 has become a new "keyword". Intelligent factories are now a reality and their inevitable and decisive development for the competitiveness of industries and countries. But it is important to be aware that this reality brings new social challenges that are already causing profound changes ... perhaps as we have never seen until today.

There are two attitudes that are not advisable in this kind of social transformation:
1- Try to stop innovation.
2- "Bury your head in the sand" and pretend that nothing is happening.

Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Steven Hawking are some of the personalities who have warned of these social challenges that Industry 4.0 (and artificial intelligence) are provoking.

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence and robotics will gradually replace millions of jobs. Last year, the theme was discussed at the World Economic Forum and the estimate is that 5 million jobs will be destroyed by 2020 as a direct consequence of Industry 4.0.

This wave of unemployment will initially affect the professions with less need for qualification, but progressively can replace all professions, reason why Elon Musk, suggested the creation of a minimum income for the (eternal) unemployed.

It may seem like a utopia, but last year Switzerland also held a referendum to change the constitution in order to allow the creation of a basic income. This proposal was rejected by 77% of voters.

By now it is clear that, sooner or later, this issue will be on the table of governments, where the main dilemma will be: How to finance the basic income of these (eternal) unemployed? Bill Gates last month suggested that robots should pay taxes on the jobs they are replacing.

The question will be how we will occupy our time? The most precious and scarce commodity...

It is unquestionable that the development of artificial intelligence and robotics is happening so fast that it can make us "obsolete". Elon Musk suggested the fusion of humans, machines, and artificial intelligence. We are increasingly close to a natural and permanent relationship between humans and robots ... but still far from the robots with emotions that Steven Spielberg showed us in the film Artificial Intelligence (2001).