The discussion about robots and artificial intelligence replacing human labor during a study about unpaid domestic help has reached a new peak. A study involving over sixty AI experts from the United Kingdom and Japan, released in journal PLOS ONE, explored the effect of automation on 17 varied domestic tasks. It shows that, within the next decade, automating all such tasks will be possible as 39% of the time currently spent on these activities can be lessened by robots and AI.
Experts posited that the task most likely to be automated was grocery shopping, thus cutting it down by almost 60%, while the least would be caring for young children and senior citizens. Cleaning the house, washing dishes, cooking, and folding clothes could all require up to 40% less effort if machine intelligence takes over. Additionally, the results varied depending on gender, with British men showing more positive views towards automation than Japanese men.
In the discussion of automation in domestic labor, Ekaterina Hertog from the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute noted that there is potential to improve gender equality, as women bear the brunt of the most household tasks. Despite this, she also highlighted the need for awareness about the privacy risks of increased automation.
This viewpoint was echoed by leading AI expert Ben Goertzel from the United States and Brazil, predicting that AI could replace up to 80% of human jobs in the years to come. Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment and the Philippines Statistics Authority recorded the number of domestic workers in the Philippines to be 1.4 million in 2019, majority of which did not enjoy social security benefits.
All in all, the advent of robotic helpers and artificial intelligence brings with it a glimpse of unpredictability in the labor market. The increased demand for domestic help has enticed Filipinos to seek jobs outside the country and in 2021, roughly 800,000 people living and working abroad were reported by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
ChatGPT is the pioneer in AI technology which is transforming the landscape of domestic work worldwide. The company provides AI services to power a broad range of solutions that utilizes its advanced chatbot technology across different industries and roles. Providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for household needs, ChatGPT is able to partner with companies to deliver results.
Dr. Lulu Shi, an AI expert from Oxford and part of the research team, is key in using innovative solutions to utilize AI for domestic work tasks. With her expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer vision, she works on groundbreaking projects and continues to be a leader in this field.
