Page 16 - Scholarship Guide Aug 2020

14

In the debate between ‘Man versus Machines’,

the common consensus is found in an unifying

mutual co-existence.

formed decisions and innovating new products The main idea is not for robots to replace hu- In essence, if we work towards a harmonious
and services.” Many companies are optimistic mans, but rather serve them. There is no com- human-AI collaboration where we use intel-
about an AI-driven future as it presents cost- petition when it comes to the human brain, in ligent technology for the common good, while
saving opportunities with a higher productivity aspects such as thinking spontaneously, practis- pairing it with ethical and social responsibil-
rate. It serves as a platform for human creativ- ing free will and utilising problem solving skills. ity, further accompanied by new regulations
ity to springboard from the benefi ts which The goal is for smart systems to complement in place for information security, it will provide
machine usability and scale brings. This is par- human intelligence. They are aimed at relieving unlimited potential for businesses to succeed
ticularly useful for large-scale production lines us from certain repetitive tasks so we can focus at a greater level in the next decade or so. In
found in factories and warehouses who thrive our manpower and resources in other areas, the debate between ‘Man versus Machines’,
on automation. thereby value-adding to our work. It is impor- the common consensus is found in an unify-
tant to also note that there are some smart ing mutual co-existence. We certainly have
With new technology comes a need for contin- systems which fail to deliver hundred percent the option to expand human capacities and
ued learning on how to handle these systems accuracy. One example that illustrates this is the capabilities through smart collaboration with
effectively. Hence, human labour will undeni- facial recognition function on our smartphones. machines. Hence, Singaporeans need to learn
ably require a mass upskill in order to meet the It has been proven that facial recognition is not how to work alongside smart machines and be
needs of this changing work landscape. In order fool-proof when it comes to darker skinned successfully integrated in the near future. Our
to keep up with where the future is headed, ethnic minorities and has on several occasions, workforce is transforming, to say the least. Are
there is talk about an increased emphasis in identifi ed the wrong individual(s) when used we prepared for this impending technological
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineer- by the police in some countries. With the rise of revolution? Only time and training will truly tell.
ing and mathematics) as it becomes increas- smart systems, an increase in threats also pres-
ingly relevant when handling smart systems. ent itself. Additionally, this has brought about
a demand for greater cybersecurity efforts to
While intelligent machines can be programmed combat this. With the majority of information References:
to mimic the behavior of humans, our current stored in the cloud and space overtime, there 1. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/
technological capacity limits it to just that. The is a high risk of hackers getting their hands on manpower/will-it-be-man-versus-machine
same Forbes article explains that, “though arti- highly confi dential and encrypted information 2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/vishalmar-
fi cial intelligence will be more productive than which has the potential to be weaponised and ria/2019/01/11/the-future-of-artifi cial-intelli-
human workers for routine and repetitive tasks, wreak havoc when found in the wrong hands. gence-in-the-workplace/#5ed79e2573d4
humans will always outperform machines in
jobs requiring relationship-building and imagi-
nation.”