ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE WORKFORCE

Artificial intelligence has been one of the most talked about topics among certain careers globally. Since its inception on the global market, artificial intelligence has caused fear and uncertainties to certain careers around the globe. The biggest fear brought with it is having certain individuals /job holders declared redundant.

However, it is worth noting that despite the uncertainties and fear it has caused, artificial intelligence has brought with it some benefits on the operations of certain businesses. From increased efficiency among workers to reduced work processes to lesser costs of doing business and many other benefits.

As a final year student of accounting and finance, I am aware of the changing systems of carrying out tasks in the accounting sector. Systems that evolved from the manual book/records keeping to the now computerized systems of accounting that no longer require accountants to record financial transactions with a pen and ruler.

These inevitable technological advancements in the workspace, despite being somewhat daunting to some aspiring young accountants, should not be seen as something that is coming to replace human power completely but to change the various work processes. From my recent corporate school tour to RSM Zambia , I learnt that technological advancements actually make both the accountant’s and the auditor’s work easier. In verifying financial data reported by the accountant, the auditor will only require to run the data through a software. Unlike in the past were the auditor would have to go through a heap of financial data to verify what was reported by the accountant.

On 2nd March this year, I attended a tax conference organised by USAID under the Revenue for Growth(R4G) project. This conference had a panel of prominent icons like the ZICA president madam Cecilia Zimba and other corporate leaders from ZRA and the ministry of finance and national planning. The conference was specifically focused on tax, there was serious calls on young people, ladies especially to venture into tax.

As curious as I was about the future of the accounting profession with regards to artificial intelligence and other technological advancement. I posed a question on whether the taxation aspect of accounting was under threat from the emerging artificial intelligence. The panellists were precise with their response. “This AI and other technological advancements are only here to make work easier and faster. However, machines cannot match up to human ability to work.”

Artificial intelligence for a fact can downsize the human resource but can’t replace certain aspects of human. An example I would give is the interpersonal aspect of humans. A machine will never do the following better than a human being; manage conflict, build teams, lead teams, negotiate, make decision based on current dynamics in the business, listening and other aspects of interpersonal skill. A machine merely works on commands and information it is fed, it cannot reason as a human being would under certain conditions.

With all this said, questions like, “Are human jobs still secure amidst AI and technology?” and “What should humans do in order to protect their jobs?” Well, I do not entirely have the answers, my thought is that human beings should leverage on the technological short falls. While machines seek to leverage on the short falls of human resource, humans need to do the same.