Certainly some call centres are already using AI and it's often impossible to tell that you're not talking to a human; same with on-line help programs such as used by banks etc. My opinion? I'm glad that I'm not in my 20s or younger because work is going to be totally different even in just 15 years' time but I believe that humans evolve as and when needed. Who would have imagined 40 years ago that we'd all be using computers in our daily life?
Indeed, most of us have relative supercomputers in our pockets. Could we do without a computer now? Less than a year ago I was without the internet for 3 weeks. It was the first time I had no online communication since 1995 [Maybe slightly earlier or later. So long ago]. Annoys me to admit it, but it was bloody awful. However, I did have my mobile phone on a separate network that had extremely dodgy reception. Yet that still saved my bacon. On the jobs front, I made a prediction, to a work colleague [Mervyn Pugh - dammit I remembered after all these years], back in 1991 that, bar food stores and the odd niche trade/product, the retail high street would disappear by 2030. I think I'm pretty much on course for that one. So that's most of those direct and indirect jobs gone. There are other trends too, like you mention. Yes, to a certain extent, I'm glad I'm not in my twenties either, but there's no doubt that the future is going to be very interesting indeed, so in a way, I wish I was half my age.
They do. In test cases, people have been talked back to by AI call people and they've not realised they were talking to an AI.
They do actually, and are programmed to respond in a specific way to try and defuse the situation. At least an AI can't feel insulted, upset or disrespected... or can they?
It's interesting that AI is proving a mixed blessing in some areas. It is used extensively in online job applications, something I've become very aware of as one of my roles is to help seriously mentally ill people in their efforts to gain employment. This means many applications are now never seen by a human but 'sorted' by AI. Sadly the implementation is mostly crude and there are many sites now dedicated on how to fool the algorithms. If you wish to be employed by KFC for example always include the words 'flexible' and 'enthusiastic' in your application. It works. Though contact with some of their staff suggest people may have been fibbing. We are living in the future.
Your post implied that if you're employed in those areas your job will go in ten years. Possibly some will, but the implication that they all will is unlikely to be accurate. A pal is a lorry driver. As he points out, self-driving lorries will certainly make the driving part of his job easier but all the other stuff he does will be unchanged. Lorry drivers do a tad more than move lorries like robots from point A to point B. My brother's a defence solicitor, so he comes under your broad sweep "the law" but AI's not going to be standing in front of a magistrate in ten years. Or arresting a suspect fleeing in a car. Or interviewing him. Or making sure he doesn't beat up his cellmate. Or dealing with his probation. Vin
Yeah, OK it did read a bit sweeping. I didn't mean ALL jobs in those areas I outlined. Just that they certainly won't be immune from AI. But AI will increasingly come into areas that we think are safe from artificial intelligence. And in time, I wouldn't put it beyond the conventions of institutions to change to accommodate AI. And many trades/services will almost totally disappear, I think. High street retail, for one example.
I run something called pi-hole (www.pi-hole.net) on my network, so it covers everything attached to my network. All you do is install it (on a raspberry Pi for example) and point your router DNS to it. This is what it has blocked today on my network It doesn't get seen as a ad-blocker to websites.
It may have sounded like gobbledegook but the facts are that over 20% of my normal internet surfing in my house (so me and the wife) was blocked and ads removed With pi-hole (I never read this site, but I know it is a good example): With it disabled: Quite a difference.
I get similar results from Ghostery, only I get a readjusted page [screenshot]: BTW, you don't know how sick that me feel by going to Mail Online.
Lol Yep, but great example of adverts Yep, but this is set at network level, so any device on my Wi-Fi/Lan is protected automatically. Websites also don't recognise it as an add blocker as it isn't a browser extension - all it does is block the DNS from known advertising sites from displaying. Currently the database (it is updated daily) has over 200,000 domains blocked. Edit: It is open source and totally free
I was discussing this last week. Why do people post on social media about their pets dying? Do the oh I'm so sorry comments from strangers make it better? My retriever got diagnosed with pyometra this week. She seems to have survived surgery. but why am I telling you? it's nothing to do with you
Seems like a nice solution. For those who don't have a plethora of devices or don't want to go to the trouble of networking their devices, I do recommend Ghostery. That's open source too and they make a version for every popular OS. Plus, I can't remember the last time a website protested it's presence. I'm sure it's not quite as good as your solution, but it does me.
Yep mine is for geeks or those with a spare raspberry pi hanging around (I actually run it in a docker container, but that is a whole different subject ) The important thing is for people to run something. Just because it makes the web less 'seamless' or seems a bit of a pain there is no reason not to do it. Every company wants our data and our web surfing habits, so don't make it easy on them.
The worst one was the evening I joined FB (purely for Cats Protection reasons) and somehow saw a post from a mother whose daughter had seemingly died. The post was along the lines of, "This is my beautiful daughter who died yesterday. If I can get 5k likes for her photo it'll make me feel so much better." I sat there and gawped. I don't know if the photo was her daughter, whether the girl had died or whether it was a cruel way of getting "likes" but it made me shake my head in despair. By the way, SiS, sorry about your pooch.
Yes, it's why I don't do the RIP bit. But that's me alone. Whatever anyone else wants to do is upto them. Sorry about your lab though. I had a Golden Labrador many years ago and when he died the wrench was so painful I vowed 'No More Pets'. I remember when Neil Armstrong died, Just a few years back. It was like someone had punched me in the guts. I could not believe how someone who didn't know me from a bar of soap, and who I obviously didn't know really, had such a profound affect on me. Childhood hero. Every time one of the astronauts from childhood pop their clogs it gets to me.
