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AI: The Next-generation Co-pilots, Working Alongside Humans – Microsoft
Microsoft, a multinational technology corporation, on Wednesday debunked the widespread misconception that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would take over jobs.
Mr. Ayanda Ngcebetsha, the Director, Data and AI, Microsoft, South Africa, said at a virtual Microsoft Africa AI Journalists Academy that AI would improve productivity rather than take over jobs.
Ngcebetsha said that apart from improved productivity, AI would enhance creativity and evolving mundane task among others.
The director said: “As against the misconception of AI taking over jobs, after improved productivity, empowering on AI rather than job loss comes next for business leaders.
“Amid concerns of replacing jobs, data from an illustration by Manuel Bortoletti shows that business leaders are looking to empower people with AI rather than replace them.”
Ngcebetsha said that AI was around us, yet invisible and working aside us to enhance creativity rather than working against creativity.
According to him, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are more interested in using AI to increase productivity than to cut headcount.
He said that from the data available to the corporation, reducing headcount was last on the list of what leaders would value from AI.
“After ‘increasing productivity’, leaders’ top hopes for AI are to help employees with necessary but repetitive tasks and increase employee wellbeing.
“They also want to eliminate employee time spent on low-value activities, enhance employees’ capabilities and accelerate employees’ pace of work,” the Microsoft director said.
According to him, if we make AI our friend, we will be more productive in what we do and what we know how to do best.
Ngcebetsha stressed that AI was about working alongside humans as an everyday companion.
He said that AI could help lift the burden on humans, adding that to date, AI had mostly been on autopilot but the next-generation copilots would work alongside people.