Google research: AI is currently more assisting employees than replacing them
Whether artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human jobs on a large scale has always been one of the most worrying issues for the outside world. However, a latest report released by Google researchers on Thursday local time shows that, at least for now, the impact of AI has been very widespread, but it is still at the "extensive and shallow" stage, and it is more about enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing human labor on a large scale. The core finding of the report is that the penetration rate of AI in the workplace is already quite high.
Whether artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human jobs on a large scale has always been one of the most worrying issues for the outside world. However, a latest report released by Google researchers on Thursday local time shows that, at least for now, the impact of AI has been very widespread, but it is still at the "extensive and shallow" stage, and it is more about enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing human labor on a large scale. The core finding of the report is that the penetration rate of AI in the workplace is already quite high. Data shows that the use of AI in work scenarios has covered 68% of occupational categories in the United States, and these occupations together account for 90% of the US employment population. AI applications have emerged in almost every industry. If this trend can continue as AI technology continues to develop, then the demand for highly skilled talents in the future labor market may not only not weaken, but will further strengthen. For Alphabet, Google’s parent company, this issue is of great significance. Google owns Gemini, one of the world's most popular AI platforms, and the current social opposition to AI is rising. The public is not only worried about the loss of jobs caused by AI, but also expressed dissatisfaction with the large-scale construction of AI data centers across the United States. In the past year, some large companies have made it clear when announcing layoffs that AI has improved work efficiency and enabled the company to reduce the size of its workforce. However, overall, the U.S. unemployment rate remains at a low level, and there are still clear differences in the economic community as to whether AI will eventually eliminate jobs or simply increase labor productivity. As doubts from the outside world continue to increase, some AI companies have recently begun to adjust their propaganda, no longer emphasizing the possible impact of AI on layoffs, but more highlighting its role in improving production efficiency. The report released on Thursday is the first research result based on tens of millions of users around the world and covering more than 150 countries around the world. AI is being used widely but superficially The report also pointed out that skilled workers and blue-collar workers are also actively using AI, a conclusion that is in sharp contrast to some previous studies. Some previous studies have believed that the application of AI is mainly concentrated in white-collar positions. For example, automotive technicians will upload complex test results and ask AI to help determine the cause of the fault; industrial maintenance personnel will use AI to analyze electrical wiring problems or identify equipment wear and tear. In addition, AI is also widely used in family life. Although the efficiency improvements brought by these applications may not be reflected in traditional economic indicators such as GDP, they do help people handle daily affairs more efficiently. However, researchers also caution that using AI does not mean that users will eventually complete the work they originally planned to complete, nor does it necessarily actually save time or costs. Researchers define the current level of AI usage as shallow applications. In other words, in most professions, AI is currently only involved in a small part of the tasks in the job content, rather than covering the entire workflow. Research shows that when employees use AI at work, they usually don’t let the AI take over a task completely, but rather use it as a collaboration tool. For example, photographers can use AI to optimize photo effects, but AI cannot simply be set to automatically repeat the process because each photo has different characteristics and requires manual judgment and adjustment. Essentially, this means that the AI is more like an "intelligent co-pilot" than a self-driving system that can completely take over the steering wheel. Of course, as AI technology continues to advance, the way it is used in the workplace may also change in the future. From the current focus on enhancing employee capabilities, it will gradually shift to taking on more work originally completed by humans and achieving a higher degree of automation. Furthermore, this study does not answer some important questions. For example, after experienced employees use AI to improve their efficiency, will companies reduce their recruitment needs for fresh graduates or employees in entry-level positions?