Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work for the Community
Artificial Intelligence will further enhance our ability to interpret and understand the world around us better.21st century Artificial Intelligence has cutting-edge capabilities that are rapidly changing the way we live. Historically, AI may also lead to new jobs and help society be better able to address challenges such as more efficient energy usage, reduced cost of living, and increased flexibility for employees. However, technology aside, what is of utmost importance is the willingness to shape young minds to evolve and equip themselves with the right skills to face the future of work. We share some of the key qualities that will forge our young through tomorrow’s world.
Introduction
The future of artificial intelligence (AI) and its effect on work in the future might be elusive. But we could all agree on one thing – it will be disruptive. So far, while many have cast that disruption in a negative light and projected a future in which robots take jobs from human workers, the truth is very far from the doomsday images of the end of the world. While that may be one way to look at it, another is that automation may create even more jobs than it displaces. By offering new tools for entrepreneurs & Tech Gurus, it may also create new lines of business that we could not possibly imagine at this point. A recent study from Redwood Software and Sapio Research underscores this view. Participants in the 2017 study said they believe that 60 per cent of businesses can be automated in the next five years.
On the other hand, Gartner predicts that by 2020, AI will produce more jobs than it displaces. In addition to creating new jobs, AI will also help people do their jobs better. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer summed this idea up as, “Human plus machine equals superpowers.” For many reasons, the optimistic view is likely the more realistic one especially with regard to the operational and strategic changes that many companies have seen when COVID-19 hit Singapore shores. Companies and organisations realised that had they not been able to innovate and be nimble on their feet, they would be unable to ride the wave and succeed amidst such exceptional circumstances.
The biggest technological trends beyond 2021 – what the future holds
What is clear and almost certain is that today’s most important technological trends will play a big part in helping us cope with and adapt to the many challenges we face in future. The shift to working from home, the new rules about how we meet, how we interact in public spaces, and the new technological trends will be the driving forces in managing such changes.
In many ways, COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for changes that were already on the cards, thanks to our increasingly online and digital lives. Things will just take place at a much faster pace now, with necessity as the driving force. While COVID-19 may “magically disappear” in time to come – the changes it has brought to the world will not. We will have to learn to do a lot of things more efficiently and safely. We share some of technological trends that may shape work and the community in future both at the local as well as global levels.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is undoubtedly one of the biggest technological trends at the moment. From 2021, AI will become an even more valuable tool for helping us to interpret and understand the world around us better. The volume of data we are collecting on healthcare, infection rates, and the success of measures we take to prevent the spread of infection will continue to increase. This means that machine learning algorithms have to become increasingly sophisticated to uncover solutions.
From computer vision systems monitoring the capacity of public areas to analysing the interactions uncovered through contact tracing initiatives, self-learning algorithms will spot connections and insights that would previously go unnoticed by manual human analysis. They will help us predict demand for services from hospitals and other healthcare providers and allow administrators to make better decisions about when and where to deploy resources.
For businesses across the world, the challenge will be to understand the changing patterns of customer and consumer behaviour. More human activities will take place online – from shopping and socializing to virtual working environments, meetings and recruitments. From 2021, we can expect the tools we use to analyse these behavioural shifts to become more sophisticated and increasingly fit the budget and infrastructure requirements of more organisations.
Robotics, drones and vehicle automation
As public transport passenger volume fluctuates, initiatives for self-driving vehicles will likely to increase, even for Singapore. The push for efficient public transport networks will be given a priority by service providers and authorities. A reduction in labour transport costs will help counter the uncertainty in customer demand.
In recent years we have seen the emergence of robots in the care and assisted living sectors. These robots will become increasingly important, particularly when it comes to interacting with members of society who are most vulnerable to infection, such as the elderly. Rather than entirely replacing the human interaction with caregivers, we can expect robotic devices to provide new channels of communication. Some examples include access to 24/7 in-home help, as well as to simply provide companionship in circumstances where sending nursing staff to homes are not viable. Additionally, companies that require its premises to be maintained while empty, will turn to robotics providers for services such as cleaning and security. These activities have led to soaring stock prices for enterprises that supply robots. Drones used to deliver vital medicine are equipped with computer vision algorithms are able to monitor footfall in public areas. These will be essential in identified areas of high-risk transmissions.
“The faster we embrace technology and its corresponding capabilities to transform worlds, the faster we are able to move our community ahead. ”
The “as-a-service” revolution
“As-a-service” refers to the provision of services that support the way we live and work through cloud-based and on-demand platforms is the key that has put the other mentioned tech trends in reach of just anybody. It is the reason why AI and robotics are possibilities for any business or organisation to adopt, regardless of their size or budget. More often than not, “as-a-service" revolution has impacted the consumer markets. Thanks to cloud offerings from companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and a growing number of start-ups, any innovator can deploy cutting-edge technology with little up-front investment in tools, equipment or skilled labour.
As the pandemic continues, cloud-abled companies are prospering because they are equipped to provide “as-a-service" scalable solutions. For example, Zoom has quickly become a household name thanks to the speed in which it was able to add servers and enhance coverage and quality of its services. Due to its cloud-based nature and its partnerships with service providers, Zoom was able to quickly increase capacity to meet demand. From 2021, “as-a-service" is going to become increasingly important and there will be more opportunities for everyone.
5G and enhanced connectivity
Faster and more reliable internet does not translate to just webpages being uploaded quicker nor less waiting time for YouTube videos to be launched. Each advancement in mobile connectivity unlocks new possibilities. 3G made web browsing and data-driven services possible on mobile devices. 4G led to the growth of video streaming and music platforms because bandwidths increased. 5G will open more doors in terms of what is possible especially in the area of human connectivity.
5G enables advanced technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality to operate. Cloud-based gaming platforms like Google's Stadia or NVidia's GeForce Now can be played anywhere and at any time. They also threaten to make cable and fibre-based networks redundant, with their need for us to be tethered to a particular location. In short, high-speed networks trigger new trends. Complex machine learning applications rely on real-time access to Big Data sources can be conducted in the field, via automation.
Shaping the minds of our young to prepare them for the future of work
The truth is, that the Malay/Muslim community is strong, forward-thinking and resilient. Many of our forefathers were travellers, traders, businessmen. They have worked hard in their various fields and pursuits. The quicker we overcome the inertia of change, the better our chances of success. The faster we embrace technology and its corresponding capabilities to transform worlds, the faster we are able to move our community ahead.
In his 2015 opening speech at the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s (SUTD) new campus, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the importance of skills across Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the future development of Singapore.
Many would agree that the wave of future economic prosperity lies in a workforce that is well-versed in rising sectors like STEM. There has been an increased investment in STEM initiatives in schools across the board in Singapore.
STEM-based education extends more than just science and mathematics concepts. The focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications helps develop a variety of skill sets. These include creativity and 21st-century skills which include media and technology literacy, productivity, social skills, communication, flexibility and initiative. Other skills attained through STEM education include problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, leadership, entrepreneurship, acceptance of failure and more. These skill sets make learners “future-proof” and will go a long way to preparing them to be innovative.
In today’s world, it is impossible to dissimilate these fields from one another. If you pick any item from your household or office and try to categorise it in just any one of the STEM subjects, you will find it impossible to do so, for everything is integrated with each other. Science and mathematics lead to technology development, which is then integrated with engineering to make it useful in our life.
STEM education encourages our young to experiment, make mistakes and learn from own experiences to reach correct outcomes, rather than relying on textbooks. That is why it is so important for Malay/Muslim families and households to be able to evolve and to encourage their young children to be more involved in holistic learning across the various disciplines so that they will be better in tuned with regard to the future of work. The truth is, we cannot teach our young to compete with machines and infrastructural hardware but we instil values and skills that no machine could replace.
Conclusion
It is in this spirit that we would like to share the 10 qualities that is needed to harness in our Malay/Muslim children come 2020 and beyond according to the World Economic Forum. These are qualities that future employers will be looking for given the vast technological changes and adoption that will be taking place across the globe. Fortunately, these very skills could be harnessed and grown over a period of time and we believe these skills could be inculcated in our young from their childhood days.
Complex problem solving
Critical thinking
Creativity
People management
Coordinating with others
Emotional intelligence
Judgement and decision making.
Service orientation
Negotiation
Cognitive flexibility
If our young do not adapt and lacks a community that does not give them the tools and the environment to thrive in, we would not be able to prepare them for the workplace in 2030 and beyond.
