Buffalo State College:

Press release from Buffalo State College:

Laurie Kaiser

November 3, 2021

Maybe 2021 hasn’t quite reached the reality depicted in Blade Runner, Ridley Scott’s science fiction film featuring bioengineered humans, but there’s no denying that robots and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly finding their place in the world and the workplace.

Recent worker shortages and higher labor costs have resulted in more automated jobs, including service and professional jobs economists once considered safe. Predictions are mixed on job losses going forward, although the World Economic Forum (WEF) concluded in a 2020 report that “a new generation of smart machines, fueled by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, could potentially replace a large proportion of existing human jobs.”

Joaquin Carbonara, Buffalo State College professor of mathematics, weighed in on AI’s effect on the job market now and in the future.

Name: Joaquin Carbonara

Title: Professor of Mathematics

Originally from Venezuela, Carbonara joined the Buffalo State College faculty in 1992 after receiving his doctorate in mathematics from the University of California, San Diego. He coordinates Buffalo State’s Data Science and Analytics Interdisciplinary Unit and directs the data science and analytics master of science program. He has published peer-reviewed papers in the fields of fractals, combinatorics, geoinformatics, biophysics, material science, and data science, and has received over $1 million in grants from the National Science Foundation.

What’s driving this trend?

So many facets of AI, including translators, facial recognition software, and self-driving cars, are now available because of one type of raw material: data. It’s the gold of our times.

All the revolutions we’ve gone through—agricultural, industrial, and now, informational, are based on technology and have forced a realignment of day-to-day life. When the Model T was invented, people selling horses lost jobs. When Hollywood introduced sound in the late 1920s, silent actors with horrible voices lost jobs. Today’s realignment creates the chance to do things differently, more efficiently, and sometimes better.

Look at blockchain technology. It's also referred to as distributed ledger technology (DLT). Blockchain stores encrypted blocks of data, then chains them together. It makes the history of any digital asset unalterable and transparent and guarantees a document is correct. When you buy a house, for instance, you’re paying lots of people to make sure everything is in place. With cryptography, all the documents are accurately completed at once. It’s faster and cheaper for the consumer.

What jobs are robots taking?

Manufacturing jobs have been automated for a long time. Now, it’s jobs that have to do with information—accounting, billing, purchasing, etc. Our world is based on paperwork, and there is so much waste. Robots can improve the flow of information and keep track of things accurately.

However, robots are not independent. They can do mechanical tasks over and over, but they can’t explain—yet—the reasons behind the tasks. Humans are still needed to create the technology and to ensure it’s working the way it’s intended.

This press release was produced by Buffalo State College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.