Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Intelligence in the Workplace?

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the ability to replicate the human intellectual process to think or act like a human. Therefore, AI could eventually replace human intelligence in the workplace. 

By 2022, 432,000 companies in the UK had adopted at least one AI technology, and by 2025, 85 million jobs across the globe could be replaced as labor roles are divided between humans and AI-powered machines.

However, we have explored AI’s future impact on jobs and why AI can’t fully replace humans in the workplace.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for a machine or computer to think critically and make decisions like the human brain. 

AI technology can complete tasks or jobs that usually require human intelligence and judgment, such as making predictions or understanding trends.

Speech recognition, expert systems, machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, planning, and computer vision are all subsets of AI. 

(Image Source: Java Point)

What Is Human Intelligence?

Human intelligence is the intellectual capabilities of humans. Through intelligence, humans possess the mental ability to learn, understand, and apply logic and reason.

Through experience and acquiring knowledge, humans can also recognize patterns, plan, innovate, solve problems, make decisions, retain information, and use language to communicate. 

There are opposing notions on how someone’s intelligence is formed, ranging from the idea that you are born with a certain level of intelligence to the idea that intelligence is learned and changes depending on a person's mindset and efforts.

AI’s Future Impact On Jobs

Artificial intelligence has a high probability of replacing humans in some jobs as the technology has the potential to complete repetitive tasks and make decisions through data, meaning human intervention is not required for these roles.

Using AI to automate some of the mundane tasks formerly performed by humans means that experts will have more time to focus on other parts of the business processes.

The rapid development of AI and other technologies will also continue to result in new fields of work, with 97 million new roles set to emerge by 2025 as labor adapts to become divided between humans, machines and algorithms.

However, human skills such as creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence can not be automated as easily. Therefore, AI cannot completely override the need for human input in the workspace.

It is also crucial to recognize that being employed offers an individual a sense of involvement and being needed. So, even mundane tasks at work can be meaningful to some, and if the job is eliminated, it should be replaced with something that provides an equivalent opportunity.

Reasons Why AI Can’t Replace Humans

Overall, public awareness of artificial intelligence has increased in the last year, and 52% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK are worried about the impact of the technology on their future employment prospects. 

However, as mentioned above, AI can only partially replace humans in the workspace. Here are five reasons why: 

AI lacks emotional intelligence 

Emotional intelligence requires a deep understanding of the human experience to empathize with others. Whilst AI tries to mimic human intelligence, emotional intelligence is not as easy to replicate as AI doesn’t feel pain or suffering.

Humans need an emotional connection with others, especially when speaking with clients or customers. Regardless of AI’s programming, it is unlikely that humans will be able to develop an emotional connection with these machines.

AI lacks creativity

AI can only function on the data it receives from humans, which restricts its creativity. This means AI lacks the human ability to brainstorm ideas and think up new ways, styles or patterns of doing work.

Both employers and employees know that creativity in the workspace is essential as it offers something new and different instead of the tedious, repetitive actions and templates in which AI is designed to function.

AI has no soft skills 

Soft skills include teamwork, time management, attention to detail, self-awareness and effective communication. These skills are a must-have for every worker in every industry, and you must develop them to succeed professionally.

However, AI-powered machines cannot develop soft skills critical to workplace development and growth. Developing these skills requires a higher level of reasoning and emotional intelligence.

AI is powered by humans 

There would be no AI without human intelligence, as humans design and write the lines of code with which AI is developed. 

Humans also operate and maintain AI machines and input the data that the machines use to complete tasks.

AI needs to be fact-checked

A problem with AI-powered chatbots or AI-written content is that the text is often inaccurate, as the technology lacks common sense and is incapable of reasoning and contesting facts to the degree that humans can.

Fact-checking and proofreading will likely become a significant career as humans must correct the inaccuracy of AI content.

Conclusion

The future of artificial intelligence is likely to involve collaboration between humans and machines. 

The capabilities of AI can assist humans by taking on data-driven and mundane tasks so that humans focus on higher-level jobs that require human intelligence, soft skills, creativity and emotional intelligence.

Businesses need to view AI as a tool that can enhance productivity and encourage new possibilities rather than as a complete substitute for human involvement in the workplace.