Model example exam argument essay for the title:
Evaluate the extent to which advances in artificial intelligence will benefit
businesses and their employees.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasing exponentially. While some
experts are concerned that many workers could lose their jobs (West, 2018),
others, such as Purdy and Daugherty (2016), are more optimistic about the
improvements it could make to the workplace in the 21st century. This essay
will argue that AI could be highly beneficial to both businesses and workers if
applied fairly.
The benefits to business of automation include enabling workers to focus on
the more important aspects of their role and reducing downtime (Purdy and
Daugherty, 2016). One example is in the hospitality industry, where room
service, which occupies many staff hours in hotels, could be done by robots,
allowing the staff to spend more time on other duties. Meanwhile, the high cost
of factory downtime could be reduced by platforms such as FIELD, which
analyses data from the manufacturing process; one manufacturer reduced
costs substantially in an 18-month “zero-downtime” trial (Purdy and
Daugherty, 2016).
AI can also assist employees in their work and increase their leisure time and
safety outside work. According to Purdy and Daugherty (2016), platforms such
as Amelia, an example of intelligent automation, can aid workers by
diagnosing problems and suggesting solutions. Amelia detects gaps in its
knowledge and updates it from manuals or learns how humans might resolve
an issue by referring it to a human colleague (Purdy and Daugherty, 2016).
Tedious tasks, such as operating machinery, and collecting and processing
data, could also be done more efficiently by machines (Manyika et al., 2017).
Meanwhile, Driverless Cars would allow workers to relax whilst commuting
and are expected to reduce fatal car accidents in the future (Purdy and
Daugherty, 2016).
In contrast, many fear that AI could lead to widespread unemployment and
even greater income inequality. West (2018) cites data from various analyses,
such as a Bruegal analysis which estimated that over half of the jobs in the EU
could be computerised, while 47 per cent of US jobs could be automated by
2040 according to Frey and Osbourne (cited in West, 2018). West foresees a
future where disruptions caused by rising unemployment could lead to
authoritarian governments replacing Western democracies, and the wealthy
living in gated communities with armed guards. However, this dystopian
prediction assumes that employers and governments will not protect workers
or provide sufficient welfare to the unemployed. Furthermore, although 48 per
cent of the experts interviewed by the Pew Research centre believed that AI
would replace workers in many jobs (West, 2018), Manyika et al., (2017) found
that under 5 per cent of jobs can be fully automated, concluding that even
when some workers’ tasks are automated, new tasks will be performed by
these employees.
In conclusion, there are many evident benefits of AI for businesses and
employees. In many instances, tasks could be completed more efficiently and
economically. In other cases, workers could be assisted in complicated
procedures, or AI could perform menial tasks, enabling workers to concentrate
on more important and fulfilling work. Driverless cars may also benefit
workers by reducing the stress and danger of driving. The only real threat of AI
is that it might be used unfairly, preventing the many benefits it provides to
trickle down to workers, leading to a wider gap between the rich and poor in
society.
(546 words)
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