9 Myths About AI in the Workplace

No, AI is not causing mass unemployment, and it's not as complicated as you may think. Here's how artificial intelligence is making the workplace better.
9 Myths About AI in the Workplace
By
Kurt Walker

Let’s be honest; technology has created more jobs than it has caused the loss of jobs for some people. But still, if you have been keen on the latest news on technology especially in the media, you must have heard the hot debate around AI and how it is said to skyrocket unemployment rates now that AI-enabled robots will be doing our jobs. Sounds believable, but it’s just a myth.

Undoubtedly, AI will transform the workplace; however, the latest attention on the topic has brought about many delusions about technology and its shortcomings.

In this article, we are going to share with you 9 myths about AI in the workplace as shared by Assignment Helper, a company that offers assignment help to students.

Myth 1: “AI will take over our jobs”

Undeniably, the introduction of technology in the workplace has revolutionised labor- and in some industries, many tasks are being handled by machines. That’s why many people are worried that AI will take over human jobs, hence skyrocket the unemployment rates.

Think about the previous industrial revolutions that led to the change of the employment sphere- the huge wave from agricultural work to factories that occurred during the 19 century. All these changes have never led to the loss of jobs. In fact, the number of jobs has remained consistent.

Business leaders like Elon Musk have come out to announce their worry about AI taking over human jobs but despite all that people say, no evidence proves that AI will cause mass unemployment rates.

Indisputably, AI will take over many jobs. In fact, jobs that take humans days or months, AI can do them in a few hours. But this doesn’t mean humans are going to become jobless.

In fact, a study suggests that AI will take over 1.8 million jobs and create 2.3 million new ones.

This is actually similar to the way machines replaced floor workers during industrialisation but there was no mass unemployment. From the study, it is evident that AI will create more jobs.

Generally, AI-enabled robots will operate like assistants that respond to customer complaints, send out your emails, etc. so you can concentrate on other productive areas of your business.

Myth 2: “AI Disaster is Coming”

Many people are worried that machines will become smarter to the extent that they will take over the world. Well, we can’t dispute the likelihood of this happening but there is no evidence that this will happen.

Besides, it is the user who determines whether the technology is valuable or a threat to human life. Think about nuclear power, while we can use it as a pure source of energy, it can also be destructive to the environment.

So, the thought that AI apocalypse is imminent is just a fallacy.

Myth 3: “AI Will Replace Unskilled and Manual Workers”

This is also another myth brought about by the thought that AI is replacing human labour.

Currently, AI-enabled robots and equipment are handling work that was reserved for the skilled and professional individuals like lawyers, doctors, etc.

Generally, AI focuses on reducing repetitive work. For instance, in law, AI helps to scan millions of documents fast, pulling out information relevant to current cases.

In the medical field, machine learning is used in x-rays, scans, etc. As you can see, both fields involve complex procedures and we can expect that machines will handle them better than humans.

In the legal field, AI could be used to present arguments in court to convince a panel of judges whereas, in medicine, technology could be used to make news easily understandable by humans.

Myth 4: “AI-enabled devices will be smarter than humans at doing anything”

Generally, AI applications fall into two categories: specialised and generalised. Specialised AI’s are those that are designed to handle specific jobs, or for a specific field where they are good at it — legal and medicine fields are two examples where specialised AI’s can be employed.

Generalised AI’s are those that are designed to handle different tasks — think of humans as being generalised AI’s.

Sure, smarter AI’s exist out there, but they can only handle particular tasks (not truly generalised like humans).

The fact that super-computers will become smarter than humans in doing anything is still a misconception.


Myth 5: “AI has similar cognitive thought as humans”

Sure, AI can handle complex data and execute tasks efficiently; however, technology cannot think like humans. In fact, the technology follows the logic and datasets designed for it by humans to execute those tasks.

Myth 6: “AI is a complex technology to embrace”

The worldwide AI software market is projected to reach $118.6 billion in revenue by 2025. In fact, a study has shown that if all industries could adopt AI the same way as the top-performing brands, they could increase revenue by 38%.

Well, of course, AI is a powerful tool, and even though many companies are still finding it complex to adopt, it is not as difficult as many may think.

Google has adopted AI and the technology can detect when its data centres overheat and activate a cooling system automatically, hence reducing energy costs.

Myth 7: “There is no difference between AI, data mining, and machine learning”

Sure, if you are not much into the world of technology, you will find it difficult to understand their difference.

Artificial Intelligence is the ability of machines to process mined data to inform smart decisions that humans couldn’t.

Machine learning, on the other hand, is the driver of AI and the two work together to process data and come up with smart decisions.


One of the robots that checks in guests at Henn-na Hotel. (AP). Image from The Atlantic.

Myth 8: “AI and robots are the same thing”

It is possible to think of Robots as being AI, but they are two different things. Most AI technologies work in the background and it’s not easy for a layman to detect the workings of AI. Think about how Amazon product recommendations work.

Robots, on the other hand, handle precise, repetitive physical processes — think of traffic lights and vending machines.

“Computers help us with information tasks and robots help us with physical tasks.” — Adrienne LaFrance in The Atlantic

Myth 9: “AI can’t collaborate effectively with Humans’

The most effective AI strategy a company can implement is combining AI and human intelligence. AI is helping humans to complete work faster, free up their time, and many other things.

How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Transforming Your Workplace

Nowhere can Artificial Intelligence be mentioned without being accompanied by other buzzwords like the Internet of Things, big data, machine learning, virtual reality, augmented reality, and many other terms.

Amazon sold more than 16.1 million AI-powered speaker devices by 2017. If you have ever purchased anything on Amazon or you have an account on Facebook, you must have experienced AI in your life. A hundred thousand chatbots help brands on Facebook to reach its 1.69 billion users via Messenger.

AI is not a new thing in the workplace currently. You must have experienced AI technologies in modern offices.

41% of brands are using AI technologies in the workforce.

But many are still anxious about the adoption of AI in the workplace. While some worries are understandable, some are just out of ignorance toward the technology.

AI in HR

Artificial Intelligence is handling most recruiting, hiring, training and employee engagement tasks. Textio applies AI to writing, where HR managers and the HR software get suitable job descriptions to hire suitable candidates.

The technology gathers data from similar job adverts and analyses them based on the type of talent is suited. Twitter and Apple use the same technique to attract well-trained employees.

Other software programs such as MontageTalent are being used for interviewing; Talla could help HR managers and recruiters during on-boarding, whereas Hi5 can help managers gauge employee engagement and performance in their company.

AI in Marketing

AI in marketing is reviving mass marking where the technology works in creating good relationships with potential customers.

For instance, AI is helping brands in the creation of awareness, conversion, and lead generation. Think about AI software qualifying leads based on browsing history, demographics, and many other factors. This helps to free the company’s sales agents so they can concentrate on other productive areas of the company.

eCommerce giants like North Face, Amazon, etc. have already adopted AI in many aspects of marketing. A whopping 59% of U.K. fashion stores are using some form of facial recognition.

Just imagine you order pizza and it is delivered to your doorstep by a robot. That’s what Domino’s is doing currently.
DRU (Domino Robotic Unit) is now called DOM.

AI and Customer Support

Have you ever visited websites of most essay writing companies that offer custom papers and received a message with “Hello, how may I help you?” That’s AI working in the background to improve customer support 💪

Business leaders are prioritising customer experience now more than ever in a bid to stand out from the crowd.

87% of customers want brands to put more effort into providing better support on all channels.

Customers can communicate with brands using different channels. They can send a chat on social media, send an email or chat directly on your website. This has increased the demand for AI technologies that can help in identifying customers on all these communication channels. This will improve customer support hence increase customer satisfaction.

It’s important than ever to keep existing customers satisfied given that acquiring new ones five times more expensive than retaining existing ones.

AI and Project Management

AI helps project managers in executing certain tasks of the projects without them being physically on the site.

Certain tasks such as budgeting, scheduling, performance tracking, and many others can be handled by AI technologies. Stratejos, is a program system helping project teams carry out work estimates, budgets, and sprint management.

AI will be able to track tasks in a more advanced way.

These are just a few of the ways AI has already invaded the workplace but for a good reason. Undoubtedly, no task will remain untouched by AI in the workplace. Many tasks from sales, training, manufacturing, finance, etc. are benefiting from the help of AI-enabled equipment.

Final Thoughts

AI technology is growing at a lightning speed. To remain competitive, top-performing brands have already adopted AI technologies in many areas of their business.

In the 3rd Industrial Revolution, computers took over most of the workplace operations and more jobs have been created so far. AI will transform the way we work and while there are many fears among business leaders and employees, the above are just myths about AI whose evidence is yet to be substantiated.

Author Bio

Kurt Walker has been working at Assignment Geek for 3 years where he offers research paper help and other professional writing services. Kurt has been offering personal statement writing services and paper writing services. He also started offering thesis help just recently. Kurt is also interested in such topics as technology, business, and educate people about the latest trends in the workplace.

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