Will AI replace human jobs? The Ghanaian perspective
By Sedem ATTOH
With the arrival of advanced technology, specifically, artificial intelligence (AI), there is alarm that certain jobs will become obsolete as soon as AI can be implemented in those industries or business sectors.
A popular stat that goes around these days is that 40% of all jobs will be replaced by robots and AI in the next two decades.
While Al brings efficiency, precision and speed to the table, it also has it drawbacks and disadvantages. It is not a perfect system.
In this article I aim to deflate some misconceptions and explore the actual reality of Al’s impact on employment in Ghana and what it means for start-ups, larger corporations and the average Ghanaian.
Jobs likely to be affected by artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence could potentially disrupt several sectors including:
Manufacturing
AI powered automated processes and robots can replace manual labour in a factory assembly line, improving speed and reducing errors.
From preassembly to assembly to packaging. So, instead of seeing assembly line workers next to a production line, all you would see are robotic arm replacements.
I visited the North Industrial Area, close to Kaneshie, in pursuit of particular plastics for a job and I was intrigued with factories filled with labourers involved in production and packaging of rubber bags and paper bags.
An AI system developed and trained to pack rubber bags in say fifty pieces per box with robotic arms to pick up and handle packing would need minimal human supervision and would be faster and more efficient.
Even quality control can be better handled by AI-powered high-resolution camera systems.
There are several perspectives to this. From the job loss perspective, the factory would no longer need a line of workers on the factory floor, which is not so good news for the worker.
But to a business owner, that means a lot of money that will no longer be sank into salaries, allowances and pension funds.
It is envisioned that in cases like this, the factory will still need minimal staff to act in supervisory and maintenance roles.
The impact of technology and Al on the Customer Service sector in Ghana has been astounding.
Call the help lines of most telecom companies today and you will deal entirely with an option-based Interactive Voice Response system, unless your problem was not in the list of options.
You would previously have been talking to a customer service personnel from the start, but that is now the last option offered after navigating through a labyrinth of numbered options.
Most Fast-food chains like KFC now use AI powered chatbots with automated responses and options.
Other chatbots respond based on key-words pulled from your requests and responses.
Both solutions lead to handling a large volume of customers quickly and efficiently.
To the customer and the business owner, it’s music to the ears.
The customer service personnel however know this means layoffs or restructuring.
Social media users, especially in Western countries, have shared experiences where the employer “politely” tells you your job title no longer exists, and the options are to get laid off or to join a different department.
There is also the perspective of a young start-up business owner, who cannot afford to pay customer service personnel and will fall on free open-source automated chatbot systems as their only viable option.
Logistics
Autonomous driving technologies can change the landscape of transport and delivery services.
Amazon had a trial for drone delivery services during the Covid-19 period along with self-checkout shops with no cashiers or attendants.
With the growing success of self-driving vehicle technology, there is the very real possibility that taxi, ride hailing app, delivery van and truck drivers will become extinct.
No stops to eat or freshen up for a self-driving articulated truck heading to Ouagadougou or Lagos with goods means less time spent on the road and faster delivery times that humans will not be able to match.
For an introvert like myself, I will relish being left alone with the option of listening to music of my choice, as opposed to taxi drivers who are always determined to tell you about family members outside the country and everything they have done in the past few months.
Okada delivery guys could be laid off when Fast-Food chains start preferring drones or self-driving city cars because the only cost is electric charging and scheduled maintenance.
A self-driving car will definitely not talk back at you, have emergencies or call in sick.
All of these drivers and riders are very much at risk, and when you factor in the scope at hand, those numbers could very well enter the tens of millions when expanded globally.
Creatives – writers and artists
In the past year or so, we have had the choice to describe to an AI system what we want drawn or written, sat back and in a few minutes, had a piece of art or a whole novel handed back.
Quite a few artists have hit back at AI saying it lacks the human emotions and inspiration needed to get to the levels of the Van Goghs, the Caravaggios and the Picassos.
More than ten thousand writers signed an open letter to AI companies telling them to seek express permission and pay proper compensation for copyrighted work used in training AI.
The levels to which AI generated content has penetrated this particular industry is already quite alarming.
In the near future companies might not even need a graphic designer.
You’ll just feed what you want created on an AI platform and hey presto! Job done. Produced faster than any person can.
The flip side
While it is conceivable that Al can replace certain jobs, it might also open doors for new opportunities.
Jobs in areas such as Al programming, robotics, data analysis, technology management, and Al ethics are growing rapidly.
In the judiciary, lawyers could acquire certifications and training that would make them specialists in cases relating to AI.
With the same knowledge, one could also be a part of committees that formulate AI governance policies for the country.
There are quite a few people who have ideas for novels but do not possess the skill of writing.
With AI, all of this changes; all such a person will have to do is to feed an AI platform with the core of the story or the concept and sit back. AI does the rest.
This would apply to several areas of the creative industry. There is a certain predicted duality to Al.
It might be a herald of job loss yes, but it will also certainly be a catalyst for job creation and transformation.
Preparing for the Al Era
It is vital to be proactive and adjust with the changing times otherwise you will always stand the chance of being left behind. Here are a few tips to adopt in the Al era:
Upskilling and reskilling
Upskilling will apply to teachers, lawyers, health care staff etc., who will see AI have a significant impact on the tools they use.
Note that this isn’t an outright replacement of full human input, but just an enhancement of tools used by workers in daily tasks.
A typical example would be a teacher having to upgrade his basic IT skills in order to fully utilize AI powered lesson planners and automated grading and feedback systems set to be integrated into educational curricula.
Reskilling here refers to the need to acquire new skills in a job sector that Al cannot replicate or fully replace.
The alternative will be to stay put in a field that has a high risk of being completely replaced by AI powered robotics and losing your job.
Examples of such jobs are healthcare jobs, therapists and counsellors, social work and community outreach roles, high-level strategy jobs and analysts, scientific research and engineering jobs, performing Arts, judges, leadership and management roles etc
Digital literacy: Knowledge never hurt anyone. Knowledge is power. Understanding the basics of Al and its related technologies will be key in the coming years, with AI predicted to seep into every aspect of our lives. It will actually become a necessity.
Embrace the change: Al is here to stay and it’s about time we understood it and adopted a positive attitude towards the impact and change it will bring.
Real-Life impact and final thoughts
While it is impossible to predict with complete certainty, the more likely scenario is that Al will transform most jobs and eliminate relatively few jobs entirely.
Initial costs of AI powered technology could be a stumbling block to factories looking to acquire such.
Bear in mind in a factory setting, it is not just the software you acquire, robotic arms or machines will also have to be acquired to complement it.
Integration into the manufacturing or assembly process also comes at its own cost. Initial set up costs might put off a number of local factory owners in Ghana.
AI in my opinion should be viewed as a collaborative tool, enhancing our daily processes and work-flows, allowing us to complete tasks that normally would take upwards of an hour or more in mere minutes. Embracing Al is not just about the technology. It is about being ready to remodel our skills and mindset for a new age of work.
