Artificial intelligence to wipe out half of all jobs

Environmentalists have been warning of water war, scientists of space war and the new entry to the list is ‘jobs war’. Technology experts are warning of a situation in the near future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) will wipe out nearly half of all existing jobs, leading to severe unemployment, especially among the youth.

Speaking to Tribune, technology expert and President of Bahrain Artificial Intelligence Society Dr. Jassim Haji said that policy-makers should be well aware of the situation to prevent a huge disaster from happening. “AI will take away 45 percent of all jobs occupied by humans in the region in the next few years. And it will certainly have an adverse impact on the lives of 20 million full-time employees,” he said. On the flip side, Dr. Haji said that it will contribute towards the economic growth in the region by adding around $320 billion, which is around 11pc of the region’s GDP.

“AI is capable of creating a radical change in the services provided by both the public and private sectors since AI will be able to perform more tasks currently operated by humans in the near future. “It’s expected that private commercial industries, such as the retail sector, would benefit more from AI. The public sector will also flourish with the utilization of AI in vital sectors including healthcare, education and other government services.

“In our region, there’s a remarkable interest in the development of AI and this is reflected in the future projects announced by the governments here, such as the smart cities and modern economies. Such initiatives require AI and modern operating systems, proving the growing interest in such technologies in the region.” Dr. Haji also said that AI and its role in the development of Middle Eastern societies will be highlighted during an upcoming event to be held in Bahrain. “The fourth edition of Bahrain Excellence Forum, which will be held on October 24, 25, will shed light on AI and its role in government excellence,” he said. It will be held under the patronage of Cabinet Affairs Minister Mohammed Al Mutawa.

The expert stated that the forum will include a demonstration of the different uses of AI applications in all fields and the means to benefit from modern technologies in their development. “AI has granted the ability to automate around 45pc of the existing jobs in the region. This would affect around 20 million full-time employees, but at the same time, it would save around USD366.6 billion in wages.

“This would be challenging to decision-makers in the region, but it is definitely inevitable. Raising awareness on AI and its capabilities is important and our societies should be well prepared for such a huge step towards the future.” On the other hand, experts worldwide fear that depending on AI and robotics in different industrial and service fields would have a negative impact on human resources and the opportunities of their employment. However, many other experts have an opposite and more optimistic opinion, predicting that newer work fields would be created.

On her part, the forum’s Assistant Secretary-General Noura Al Aliwi underlined the importance of AI as one of the major outputs of the industrial, informatics and technological revolutions. She said that AI is likely to open the door for unlimited innovations, pointing out its use in numerous fields. This, she added, might bring about a radical change in people’s lives due to the mammoth and fast-paced technological development and the global changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution.