Why we must teach – and learn – the skills machines can’t master
By Kathy Kyle Bonomini, Partner
Picture the scene… a robot and human, side by side, each with a goal of attaining 15-second fulfilment targets in a large distribution warehouse. The robots work effortlessly; the human attempts to imitate, and wears a wristband to track their movements for anticipated waste and inefficiency. It sounds a bit unfair - and in many ways immoral - competition, but this is the reality of the new global distribution centres of the giant retailers we know and love.
And love them we do. Cheaper goods delivered faster – what’s not to like? Businesses have been pursuing speed, efficiency, and the obvious related profit for time immemorial, and by and large the consumer in us enjoys the benefits. But new technologies that blur the value between humans and machines are adding an uncomfortable level of science fiction to our lives. And the very people at risk of losing their jobs to AI are those who are helping to expedite the process.
According to Business Insider, machines will not only surpass humans at playing Angry Birds and assembling LEGO; in 30 years, it estimates machines will be able to perform more complex tasks like surgery.
Source: Business Insider
Robotics, AI, and machine advances – these technologies all add value to the world and are a testament to human innovation. However, with disruption there comes change – consider the Industrial Revolution, the closing of coal mines and the advent of renewable energy technology, and the launch of companies like AirBnB/Lyft – people in the respective industries have been affected in some way. New technologies brings new challenges. In obstacles people find opportunities to innovate, to build, and to develop new ideas. Instead of looking backward, people look forward.
In the case of artificial intelligence, it is clear that humanity must differentiate itself from its robot counterparts.
One might suggest to those warehouse workers and to young people that simply ‘getting an education’ is the answer, but what kind of an education? Some argue that the higher education market is saturated and we must rethink it completely. The Economist suggests that school-leavers need other ways to learn and train other than University and that government and business could do more to support vocational training programmes.
Photo by Tadas Mikuckis on Unsplash
This issue requires a shift in thinking about not only what we teach and train but how we teach and train. We should focus on investing in the arts, music, theatre, dance, languages, culinary arts, and other creative pursuits that are inherently human and incorporate these skills into our lives. If we invest in these pursuits, we are also investing in preserving our culture and our own humanity. By focussing on our innately human qualities, embracing them and incorporating them into our technology-laden lives, we can also positively impact social mobility on a wider scale.
In 2017, there were more than 17,000 arts-related businesses that employed more than 68,500 people in Virginia. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts has seen arts funding from the state legislature triple since 2008.
We must shift our mind set to not only appreciate the arts but cultivate it within ourselves and into our children’s ways of learning if we are to maintain our competitive edge and relevance as humans. The careers our children will discover, grow, and lead may not have even been created yet. That is an exciting prospect. Perhaps there are ways to incorporate art into science. Perhaps if we look closely, there is art in science or an art to science. Or law. Or medicine. Or policing. Or technology. Studies are inconclusive regarding the link between music and maths, but why not study either if they enhance and enrich our lives?
So what’s next? Government should direct resources to early years funding and encourage more robust arts programmes in all grammar and primary schools. Businesses can and should hire people with or without a University degree; instead focussing on candidates who have the right mix of skills for the respective role. And every day people can practice, promote, and become patrons of the arts - in all of its permutations.
Perhaps instead of wearing patented bracelets to compete alongside robots, nudging ourselves into obscurity, we can rise up and nudge our hands to a higher enterprise – to embrace our own humanity.
