AI Is Nothing Without Humans, Say Experts

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has captured the imagination of human minds, sparking both optimism about its profound impact on our lives and concerns about potential job displacement on a global scale. While some believe that AI will be capable of performing individual tasks, there is a prevailing confidence that it cannot completely replace humans in specific roles. The question of whether AI will assume human roles remains a tale yet to unfold, but discussions about its integration into businesses and daily life are already global.

Currently, AI empowers approximately three-fourths of organisations, with around 73 per cent of companies prioritising AI over other digital innovations, as indicated by the report 'Reinventing Enterprise Operations.'

“Enterprises will leverage AI models to reinvent the work done across five key functions – advising, creating, coding, automating, and protecting. For instance, Generative AI will act as a ‘co-pilot’ to workers,” says Gopali Contractor, Global Lead - Advanced AI and ML Capability, Accenture & Lead - AI Practice for Cloud First, Advanced Technology Centers in India, Accenture.

But “AI is nothing without human intervention,” emphasises Harshil Karia, founder of Schbang, underlining that artificial intelligence cannot be harnessed without a human being. He stresses that it is an advanced tech with a creative ability but has zero capability if not guided or harnessed somewhere.

In line with this viewpoint, the 2021 edition of the 'Harvard Business Review' emphasised that both people and AI possess distinct abilities and strengths. The real potential lies in combining human intelligence with artificial intelligence to achieve augmented intelligence.

Simply put, the study concluded that "Weak human + machine + better process" outperforms and surpasses "Strong human + machine + inferior process."

Additionally, according to Synthesys, a video production platform, machine learning still lags behind human learning. Similar to how a toddler learns by observing others, a machine can only learn effectively when provided with data for trial-and-error processes, which requires human support.

The preceding observations emphasise that AI relies on the human brain for its identity. However, a World Economic Forum report highlights that by 2025, AI will replace 85 million jobs. On a positive note, the same report predicts the creation of 97 million new jobs during the same period. This reaffirms that intelligent machines will still require humans for their operations.

“AI is like the ‘sugar’ in milk,” says Karia emphasising on the promise the technology holds for the future. According to McKinsey's latest report, Generative AI has the potential to significantly boost productivity, contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy. This immense potential makes it crucial for us to access AI talent and harness intelligent technology. Karia emphasises the importance of AI training and skilling to stay at the forefront of this transformative technology.

Amidst the ongoing debates and discussions about AI's superiority, one thing remains clear: AI's abilities can complement human efforts only if the latter continuously provides value to these machines. By fostering a collaborative relationship with AI, we can unlock its true potential and drive greater advancements in various fields, affirm experts.