Is discretion a programmable aptitude? Can a machine feel pain; recognize frustration; have empathy?
Maybe the answer is “not really” or “who knows,” and that’s why it’s called “artificial” intelligence.
I am too old to truly appreciate the intrusion of AI into the working world. But I am not too old to feel the effects.
Last week, AI came to my attention. It wasn’t a pleasant meeting. It taught me what the real future of work will be for future generations and it’s not a step up the ladder of success. I suspect many of the “professional” jobs will soon vanish.
What will take their place?
(Full disclosure: When AI was looming over the world of creativity, I had to sign a form attesting to the fact I would never use AI to compose a column. It took less than a second for me to sign. Not out of a sense of duty or an attitude of effrontery, but for the simple reason that if I had to rely on “foreign” creativity, I would not have been employed for the past 60 years using my own abilities to do this work.)
There is another side to all of this: I am old enough to resent — to the point of frustrated rage — being held hostage by AI. My complaint and concern is the effect of artificial intelligence on human interaction.
I believed my frustrating and confusing day at the bank was unique and cased by my late husband’s business interests. I needed a number of what I believed to be inconsequential documents signed and sealed in person by a bank.
The bank was restricted by rules and procedures, and I blamed the branch and a lower-level employee for the delay and confusion. (That was likely unfair.) A manager was dispatched; a telephone call to head office was made; we waited through an interminable on-hold delay.
Apparently, no human being on site or in Calgary was authorized to deal with this matter involving an estate account or a longtime customer.
(The bank’s name itself doesn’t matter: there is no reason to believe any other institution is different.)
Eventually, all was accomplished. In the end, I blamed myself. (All my bank accounts are at another institution; ergo, why would I expect a more personal interaction?)
The next day, a relative dealing with her bank and needing an estate matter settled called with her frustrating experience that mirrored mine.
Some coincidence: A different bank; a different city; a different province. Same frustration; same inflexible rules; same longtime relationship with the institution.
Related
So what did we expect? Simple — a human being able to cut through red tape and procedures on the basis of a long-term relationship, personal association and attested proof of identity, including all the paperwork associated with a husband’s death.
AI has brought this on and it will get worse. Experienced employees are an expense; experienced managers with the ability to make decisions based on what is presented to them and the situation are even more costly.
Why not just program a machine to judge based on statistics and past examples, and eliminate a couple of levels of management in one fell swoop?
This is the future. Who needs human interaction when a machine can do the work and doesn’t need a pension, sick days, holidays or time off? Who needs middle managers? Who needs decision-making supervisors?
A machine can be fed the entirety of the company’s business and its past decisions, and thus can make decisions faster, cleaner and less expensive than a human. How attractive is that scenario to those in any head office of any business?
This will be the future.
Catherine Ford is a regular columnist.
