I recently visited a new McDonald’s outlet in Tuguegarao City for breakfast before my flight to Manila. Much to my surprise, this store, located almost 500 kilometers north of Manila, had implemented a modern touch screen ordering system instead of traditional employees. This innovative technology replaced their usual staff who took customer orders. Just a few weeks before that, I had taken my son to a Jollibee outlet in Makati City, and we were amazed when a robot on wheels delivered our food to our table after we placed our orders with an employee over the counter.
These encounters with advanced technology and automation left me with mixed feelings. While the changes I observed were relatively minor compared to the numerous innovations mankind has achieved, they made me contemplate the possibility of future restaurants operating without or with very few human employees. I imagined fully automated restaurants where systems and machines handled everything from taking orders and cooking food to serving customers, cleaning tables, and even providing security. And if this could happen in restaurants, it could potentially extend to all other types of businesses as well.
The concern about the potential displacement of human labor due to technological advancements is not a new one. Since the industrial revolution began in the 1700s, mankind has been wary of machines reducing the need for manual work, especially as populations continue to grow. However, despite the thousands of inventions throughout history, these fears have not become widespread concerns. In fact, many inventions have actually created more demand for employment. Mechanized agriculture led to increased crop harvests and the development of various products. Manufacturing plants produced a surplus of goods that needed to be distributed to expanding markets. The invention of vehicles facilitated travel and the movement of goods. The internet revolutionized the flow of information and communication.
But what should we expect from a future that embraces full automation, from restaurants and retail stores to gas stations and banks? Partial automation is already a part of our lives in the form of ATMs, vending machines, and online shopping. However, the complete automation of all industries, which either eliminates or heavily reduces the need for human labor, could have an unprecedented impact on humanity. Until recently, the negative effects of inventions on employment were limited to manual and administrative tasks. However, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is now threatening jobs that require creativity, judgment, discretion, and even those involving invention and innovation. We are entering a phase where AI is not just enhancing human abilities but also becoming competitive with human intellect.
While AI is still in its early stages, it is rapidly evolving and causing concerns in various fields. For example, it can generate written content that can be falsely claimed by students as their own work. It has the ability to create artwork, literature, paintings, and sculptures and even produce TV shows and movies that eliminate the need for real-life actors and support staff. There have been protests over the use of AI sportscasters and writers in the entertainment industry, as professionals fear losing their jobs to AI.
Throughout history, mankind has benefited greatly from inventions that have transformed our way of life and distinguished us from other species. However, most of these inventions have expanded human activity, thus increasing the demand for human labor and industry. But now, there is a genuine concern that certain inventions, driven solely by profit, may significantly reduce or eliminate the need for both human intelligence and physical labor. Governments must use their tools of incentives and disincentives to gain control over the direction of these inventions, which threaten to bring about monumental changes in mankind’s role and significance in the world. We must ask ourselves, as we continue to invent, are we inadvertently inventing our way to our own extinction?
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