Automation has historically shifted the nature of work rather than permanently reducing total employment.
Dr Jonathan Aiken notes each industrial revolution created new roles (supervisory, maintenance) even as old tasks disappeared, keeping employment numbers growing.
insights INSIGHT
AI As An Efficiency Filter Not A Full Replacement
AI is likely to act first as an assistant that filters and condenses information rather than fully replaces humans.
Jonathan Aiken says AI can deliver single efficient answers, saving time compared with unfocused web searches.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Luddites Smashed Looms To Protest Job Loss
Early objections to machines came from Luddites who smashed looms because losing work meant starvation.
James Sumner recounts the 1810s textile workers' machine-breaking as a bargaining tool against sudden unemployment.
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AI is now able to do some types of work faster and cheaper than human beings, and some workers have already found themselves out of a job.
Earlier this year, a report from Goldman Sachs said that AI could potentially replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, and a different survey of 12 thousand people suggested that a third were worried their bosses would replace them with AI.
So is AI coming for your job? What type of workers are most at risk, and if you aren't replaced, could you find yourself working alongside an AI?
Technology has already completely altered our lives, and Artificial Intelligence may transform our world to an even greater degree. This series is your chance to get back to basics and really understand key technology terms. What's an algorithm? where is "the Cloud" and what exactly is Blockchain? What's the difference between machine and deep learning in artificial intelligence, and is it just jobs under threat, or is it much worse than that? And before we get to the destruction of humanity, should we all be using Bitcoin? Our experts will explain in the very simplest terms everything you need to know about the tech that underpins your day. We'll explore the rich history of how all these systems developed, and where they may be going next.
Presenter: Spencer Kelly
Producers Ravi Naik and Nick Holland
Editor: Clare Fordham
Programme Coordinator: Janet Staples
