When will it be standard practice for companies to replace an entire department like HR, R&D or sales?


It seems inevitable. All the pieces are there. Some industries have already started implementing AI solutions. In another life I was a team leader in sales. My rules were simple: be reliable, be coachable, constantly learn and work hard. If a salesperson could do those 4 things I could get them to an acceptable level of production.


I look at AI, its accomplishments and future potential. Reliable? It will always be on time and do what it is asked. Coachable? The damn thing is programed with the perfect answer to any question. Constantly learn and improve? Just update the system with the most effective AI for its purpose. Work hard? AI can work more efficiently and at a higher level than a human and it can do it 24/7.


In addition AI is scalable. If we started a new marketing campaign and there was overflow, my guys would have to work overtime to handle it and the customer experience would suffer. With AI simply add more processing power as needed. Training/Learning curves? None. The most recent AI to go online is as knowledgeable and effective as the others doing the same task. Salary/Commission/Bonuses/Benefits? The cost of electricity.


My GF recently got a remote sales position for one of the larger marketing companies. It took a month to train her and not everyone passed the training. She works a minimum of 10 hours a day making calls, sending email templates, vetting leads, etc. She has team meetings all the time. There's personality clashes (yes, even remote!). She takes careful notes and puts them in the system just so Account Executives don't read them and come off as unprepared in introductory meetings with the clients. The list goes on.


I wonder how long is it going to be before AI takes her job. AI can make more calls than her entire team combined. AI can send more emails. AI can qualify leads faster. AI doesn't get upset when someone treats them rudely or blows off a meeting. AI would followup as many times as necessary to rebook the appointment and keep the deal alive. AI can transcribe/summarize the call or if necessary replay the entire call. She's not closing deals (yet). Her position exists to qualify leads then set appointments and make the intro between the client and the account executive who closes the sale.


Doctors reading charts and making diagnosis? AI already does it better. Looking up case law and applying it to legal issues? AI is making a strong argument that it could handle simple to moderately complex legal issues. Programmers/Coders? AI can write and QC faster and better than the average coder.


I understand there are arguments to be made for certain careers and highly specialized positions that are not going to be replaced by AI anytime soon. I'm asking about the entry/mid level positions that comprise the vast majority of American jobs. Not everyone is a key employee. Most employees are a spoke on the wheel that keeps the wheel straight. So what say you? How long before AI replaces the spokes?

quote:

Doctors reading charts and making diagnosis? AI already does it better

^^^^^^^^^
Yeah a portion of our autistic population would love it. I prefer the human touch and interaction. Reading charts and making diagnoses is a Small part of a medical visit.

Service jobs simple tasks like placing orders first.

Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s partnering with AI companies to automate drive-thru

Link

Some jobs will shift to other areas, a bit like kiosks at fast food places. Maybe phone trees will become less frustrating to navigate.

what if there were forum members who were really AI bots?

Actually might be useful for frequently asked questions

Technology has always replaced human jobs...
Then humans have to find better jobs.

quote:

Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s partnering with AI companies to automate drive-thru

I prefer The All Natural Burger...

Considering the degradation of quality among low-skill workers, perhaps this trend is not a bad thing. AI is better than NoI.

AI Para v1.1 is now online...


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I think every business owner is dreaming of it.

Maybe it becomes a corporate nightmare where we are all blocked out by the megacorps, but I swear a decent chunk of my work force would have been considered unemployable two decades ago - and they’re a cut above what applies.

I am fortunate enough to have a handful I’d keep, regardless of automation, because they’re good problem solvers/really good brand emissaries.

I have read (sorry can't remember source) that the current wave of tech industry layoffs is not because of the current economic situation, but because of the expectation that AI will replace many routine software/tech jobs.

A CS professor I know who has been following the tech job market for decades says this is the worst he has ever seen it. He mentions an EE graduate who has gone to work teaching high school.

I want a AI robot wife with reason and accountability.

Read Daniel Wilson's novel Robopocalyse. Wilson has a PhD in computer science. An easy read and an eye opener on AI. Steven Spielberg bought the movie rights but the bean counters nixed making the movie as it would cost too much.

AI isn't necessarily a friendly companion on life's path.

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:
I want a AI robot wife with reason and accountability.

I want one with a bigga tits,
ba boomba boomba boom!
you know what I mean?

Is now too soon?

IBM plans to replace 7,800 jobs with AI over time, pauses hiring certain positions

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:
I want a AI robot wife with reason and accountability.

Ask and you shall receive.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Is now too soon?

IBM plans to replace 7,800 jobs with AI over time, pauses hiring certain positions

Probably too soon. IBM is top heavy as hell. They've given up all their hardware money making divisions and are relying on software support. Don't get me wrong, AI could replace a bunch of positions everywhere. AI could probably replace IBM's CEO and the company wouldn't skip a beat. AI replacing jobs is not the issue.

Seems with the removal of entrance exams, maybe AI is the way to go.

They now don't even have to take the MCAT to get in to over 40 medical schools and will probably use AI to cheat on whatever test they do have to take.

Would the thing to do is not trust any doctor under the age of 25? The older more experienced doctors had to learn which end of the scalpel to hold.

I expect my job, application software design and development, to be done by AI in 3-5 years.
It won't affect me as I'm semi-retired, but it's going to put a lot of people that make decent money today out of work.

Hopefully as in the past, new jobs will be available for people to migrate to.
We haven't needed too many buggy whips for quite a while.