Kathmandu – Tech giants are raising alarms over the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on employment. Following the introduction of AI technologies, many companies have begun laying off workers, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently claimed that AI is taking over the roles once filled by customer service employees. According to Altman, AI can now handle many tasks traditionally performed through phones or computers, potentially replacing human workers in these roles.
Altman’s statement has once again sparked fears that AI could render many people unemployed. He argues that AI could perform customer service tasks more efficiently and accurately than humans. He also warned that the jobs of programmers could be at risk. “Throughout history, approximately 50% of jobs have been replaced every 75 years, but this time, the change will happen much faster and on a much larger scale,” Altman said.
Despite concerns, Altman suggested that AI could be safely used in fields like nursing without posing significant risks.
Last year, Oracle announced its goal to automate all of its customer service operations using AI. Meanwhile, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed that his company had already laid off 4,000 employees from its customer service team.
These moves reflect a broader trend, with many companies already working towards automating customer service roles, leaving many jobs vulnerable to AI disruption. However, experts are divided on Altman’s predictions for the future.
Research firm Gartner has estimated that by 2027, more than half of companies will reverse their decisions to reduce customer service staff, claiming that people still prefer human-provided services over automated solutions.
As a result, experts argue that businesses may not fully replace human workers with AI, especially for jobs that require a personal touch. Altman also shared that the pressure of overseeing millions of daily interactions through AI-powered chatbots keeps him up at night, adding that even small AI decisions can have a significant impact on the world.
With AI continuing to evolve, the question remains: will it lead to job creation or widespread unemployment? The debate is far from over.
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