Letter: AI enhancing Humanity, not replacing Human Talent

Berlin. By Isaías Blanco – After six years of benchmarking how AI enhances digital marketing, education, medicine, and sports, I realized that it is fundamental to consider protocols and ethical codes to frame a vital business revolution.

Since 2019, I have analyzed how promising Start-Ups in Sweden, Finland, the United States, and Germany are using Artificial Intelligence to enrich the performance of their activities. They offer AI as an additional service (added value) to their organization, solving problems and meeting needs. 

However, I acknowledged that the main sales pitch frequently emphasized by managers, directors, and entrepreneurs focuses on Artificial Intelligence as the leading solution to the crisis, rather than a tool to enhance the organization’s Human Talent.

Let me guess. When you or your organization think about disruptive innovation business savior, You also imagine an AI solving corporation problems quickly and satisfying customer needs (in a short time) with better efficiency and remarkable performance. But what about the intermediary industries between factories and clients in which human Talent operates?.

Should directors and business owners invest in their Human Talent to enhance their digital skills instead of dispensing with them?.

Artificial Intelligence is a reality among almost all digital professions or entirely linked with technological improvements in diverse corners of Society. 

Nonetheless, it is essential to define a framework (protocols) to conduct the transition to the future without replacing employees, destroying job positions and discarding human Talent.

I thank God and the Universe for being 36 years old and having lived through four of human history’s most critical digital and technological transitions—the computing era, Social Media Networking, Digitalization, and Cloud Computing.

The only common element I remember of all these periods was the interesting resistance from the employees. Almost all professionals expected the imminent threat of being replaced by computers, but it has never materialized until now. Such a paradox, no?

Supporting AI developers, architects, engineers and any other related job

Before addressing any misconceptions, I am not trying to pit my opinion against developers, cloud architects, and software engineers working on AI projects. First, due to my admiration for their Talent, and second, given the respect that I feel for how they embrace Humanity’s development. 

My position isn’t against the developers’ guild, primarily because they are creating a new network of highly qualified job opportunities. On the other hand, my ideas do not support religious fundamentalism, even less an apocalyptic scenario where machines were revealed against humans.

Before you even think about it, I am not supporting pseudo-digital socialism against private capital, entrepreneurs, corporations or any other Tech projects.

Please read it twice if you need clarification about using AI ethically as long as it won’t be used as a powerful resource to replace Human Talent worldwide, especially in less wealthy countries.

One more time, in case of any doubts, my concerns about AI aren’t the technology developers. I will condense efforts to teach entrepreneurs and business people what Human Talent is. It will be necessary for the next few decades and perhaps a century (imagining a future led by robots).

Entrepreneurs aim to solve users’ issues by consuming fewer resources and generating more revenue.

COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the commercial war between the US and China, the chipset supply crisis, inflation, fuel costs, and increased domestic gas prices create a Machiavellian scenario never seen before.

A crisis often serves as a fertile ground for entrepreneurs, companies, and corporations to uncover valuable opportunities amidst adversity. In these challenging times, the introduction of artificial intelligence emerges as a transformative solution. By automating processes, businesses can streamline their operations, reduce costs, and save precious time. This technological advancement not only enhances productivity but also enables companies to optimize their supply chains and strengthen their relationships with suppliers. Ultimately, leveraging AI can significantly boost profits, turning turbulent periods into springboards for future success.

But again, What about Human Talent? What will happen to the millions of workers in factories, companies, and departments who might be replaced by complex algorithms, robotic arms, or machine systems? Who will defend their rights? How would the employees maintain their value? What is going to happen next?.

We, the first generation interacting with Artificial Intelligence, should educate entrepreneurs, organizations, businesses, companies, corporations, NGOs, and even Governments about Artificial Intelligence as an innovation ally, rather than a tool to trim human talent. 

In the coming years, Artificial Intelligence should be a resource for society, not an excuse to replace employees and reduce costs to increase profits.

Regardless, Artificial Intelligence means significant progress for Humanity because it enriches our capacities and vision of the technology application. Any binding decisions in business, health, social, economic and cultural fields can’t be taken by algorithms. 

Human Talent should supervise and audit how Artificial Intelligence solves complex situations quickly, always trying to make the best choice for the people’s benefit, not the monetary profit.

Open debates, Social Integration. Government policies. Business Transition Frameworks.

Here, I want to clarify and reiterate (for the fifth time) that I support Artificial Intelligence as a tool to enrich our lives, not as a replacement for humans.

The primary purpose of any new StartUp established by AI should be to build systems and environments that serve as a framework to enrich Human Talent, especially among factory and logistics employees.

This is the perfect storytelling that opinion leaders should use in their Social Media accounts to influence entrepreneurs, business managers and directors to invest in programs that train employees on AI supervision instead of eradicating human positions in their organizations.

The following five to ten years should provide a framework for disposing of the protocol and steps to follow in the AI transition era. What to do, train employees, and reduce the resistance to Artificial Intelligence. 

The Artificial Intelligence transition demands the same efforts required for the Sustainable transformation of businesses, societies, cities, factories, and educational models. But one more time, the idea is to build a safe and prosperous system that introduces AI in daily basics, rather than cutting jobs, reducing personnel, and condemning people to poverty or forcing retirement.

These reflections come to mind because I have observed close friends who are afraid of losing their positions and jobs in the coming years due to Artificial Intelligence and robots.

Could you please help me connect with any of your colleagues or friends who are interested in the AI transition era? Your collaboration may help others become educated about Artificial Intelligence and how to utilize it to their advantage.