Future Society: 'Gradual Adaption to the Changes Brought by AI Into Our Lives'

As the UK has published a roadmap for becoming the leader in AI, it will take some time and expertise before robots can be counted on to make everyday tasks easier and give us more leisure time, Angelo Cangelosi, professor of artificial intelligence at Plymouth University, told Sputnik.

UK authorities want to expand the use of AI, to introduce robots into health care and allow self-driving cars, among other things. The draft plan includes educating workers to operate AI and promoting the use of AI to businesses and supporting research in this sphere.

“It is important to involve people in this process by increasing the education of postgraduate students thus preparing the younger generation to handle these techniques,” Angelo Cangelosi said.

“The UK is at the forefront of AI and robotics research. We have a large network of artificial intelligence robotics and an autonomous systems network. Special attention is being paid to humanoid robotics and social robots,” he added.

As for the downsides of widespread introduction of artificial intelligence, the way the UK government could possibly cope with them and whether we already have the expertise to train and develop the working population to utilize artificial intelligence to the maximum, Dr. Cangelosi mentioned the difference that now exists between potential applications of AI and what we actually can do today.

“Although our vision is that in the future we’ll have semi-autonomous or fully autonomous robots helping elderly people what we can really envision  happening in the coming three to five years is the introduction of only some of the components of these systems,” he noted.

He added that it could take another 10 or 20 years for us to have fully automatic robots, but added that it won’t be long before semi-autonomous robots come along capable of recognizing when, for example, an old person is falling, or otherwise needs help.

Speaking about the possible loss of jobs to the working population resulting from the introduction of robots, Dr. Cangelosi said the introduction of artificial intelligence will be a gradual process.

“We as a society would gradually adapt to the changes brought by AI into our lives. […] It is only gradual introduction of techniques that will allow us to plan job changes requirements.”

When asked whether the introduction of AI would give people a better quality of life allowing them to spend more time with the families, on the beach, etc., Angelo Cangelosi said that this would certainly result in new job requirements, rebalancing the economy, salaries, etc.

“If we manage this with expertise and good planning, then I’m an optimist,” he concluded.

UK authorities want to expand the use of AI to introduce robots into health care and allow self-driving cars, among other things.

The draft plan includes educating workers to operate AI and promoting the use of AI to businesses and supporting research in this sphere.