Artificial intelligence could drastically shape the workplaces that we teens will enter. Here are a few things you should know about AI.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a term thrown around a lot. But many people don't fully understand what AI is and how it will change the workplace over the next decade. Since AI could drastically shape the workplaces that we teens will enter, we need to understand the basics of AI and its implications. If you need a crash course, here are a few things you should know about AI.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Think of AI as automation on steroids. In its most basic sense, the term AI describes technology that uses machine learning, where machines learn from and adapt to vast data sets to make decisions and predictions. Thus, as it continues to be developed, this technology moves toward replicating human intelligence and autonomous decision-making.
How is AI being applied?
AI has numerous applications, so many that you may not even realize when you are using it. If you use apps like Waze to determine your exact arrival time, sort your emails with a spam filter, or use Facebook's facial recognition software, you are using AI technology. Beyond these examples, AI has many other applications that are continuing to grow. Some of the most futuristic and promising technologies (think self-driving cars) are becoming possible through increasingly accurate AI technology.
How will AI impact the workforce long-term?
As frustrating as it is, we don't know exactly how AI will develop in the future. However, experts suggest that 25% of the workforce could be replaced by AI-powered automation. While in most cases, AI will augment our work, helping us become more productive and accurate in the long run, our generation will almost certainly experience a learning curve as society increasingly embraces AI. In short, the influx of AI technology will force our generation to become more flexible than our predecessors and to rapidly incorporate data-driven thinking and machine learning into our everyday lives.