Tomorrow's World

IG Chowdhury | Published: May 09, 2026 21:27:21

Tomorrow's World

Technology can be a killer. This is how our weavers lost their fingers in the colonial days. Now it is targeting our cerebral workers. The process has been on for a while as computers were getting smarter. First it was the office typists and now it is the knowledge workers. Many of the past jobs have been taken over by machines. We have moved from six-day a week work life to five-day a week, fast approaching four-day a week. Jobs are lost, but those who can stay on, do better.
It is less than a century that computers have entered our life. Within this period, they have risen from the binary bondage of Yes and No to an ability to search through an entire domain of options. This is quantum computing, darling of the software houses. Consequence is the rise of artificial intelligence that is out to challenge its human creator. Within the country we have done well in adopting the technology. It is now part of our daily life. But there is a difference in terms of the extent of adoption. Automation begins with Robotics. Artificial Intelligence is the far end. This journey requires more than regulatory support.
The threat to work life that we now worry about had a period of gestation. I remember the days when typists at government offices went on strike protesting the word processors. They were worried about their job. This did not happen. In a similar manner, low-skill jobs are now at risk of being taken over by machines. As computers get better, these people will be pushed aside unless they acquire better skills. As we roll on, it is possible that much of the traditional work will be lost in the future. How it affects us and when it happens is for future to decide.
Talking about automation look at how cell phones have taken over our life. Besides a phone, it is also a laptop doing everything from a trip to the bank to completing formalities while boarding an aircraft. Yet, all these activities relate to a person, meeting his needs. Artificial Intelligence is about replacing the person. Difficult to comprehend at this stage as computers are yet confined to serving the human. It is a question of time when people will turn into surrogates of machines, akin to pets in the house, to be disposed of when they age. This is tomorrow's world that we are fast approaching.
Meanwhile, I struggle with my fingerprint as it does not match the one on the ID. This could be due to change in lifestyle or aging. A retina scan may have been better. But the problem will not go away due to future changes such as a cataract surgery. Hence there is a limit to the process of automation that are based on recorded data. A human life has many peculiarities that may not be programmable. There must be a reason why this is so. The answer lies with the creator. Meanwhile, all we can do is wait as things develop, with trepidation.
What about those who are thrown out of work before their time, because technology has taken over? This number will rise as we have more people on the planet. So much for demographic dividend. The younger ones are vulnerable as there will be many of them chasing few openings. Those who are left out will be crime-prone. This is a new addition to the world of crimes created by machine learning.
Does it mean we should be averse to technology? Not at all, but there are differences. We depend on technology for many conveniences of life from moving fast to building structures that challenge the pyramids. But when it comes to cerebral functions it may be necessary to draw a line. Yes, machines can do it better and there are benefits. But one has to count the composite benefit in terms of both good and bad.
Beyond the conveniences created there is a flip side to machine intelligence, in terms of our work life. It is work that keeps one going in life. Look at the retired people, many with much wealth. The only thing that keeps them going are grocery shopping and doctor's appointment. They can no longer climb mountains or go for long distance hikes. A life needs physical activity to keep it going.
It is said that God created man in His image. He has given it a mind to think and a body to act. The ability of mind is the intelligence. Man created machine in his image. He gave it a mind to work on directives. It is called a Robot. When a robot is able to act beyond the directives it rises into the realm of Artificial Intelligence. We would love machines with such ability as they can make our life easier. But there is a worrying side to it. How far should this be allowed as machines gradually take over our work life from doing chores to think on our behalf? Should there be a limit to this process as machines rise? We do not want A Space Odyssey-like situation where a machine challenges its human supervisor. This is unlikely as human mind is not exactly derivable through mathematical equations. This is how Ramanujam found his equations. Yet it can be a concern for the humanity. We would not want a situation where the creator is a hostage to his creation.