Experts at the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) meeting on Tuesday, March 12, reassured the public that artificial Intelligence (AI) is unlikely to take over most jobs.
Physics expert Dr. Christine Villagonzalo explained that AI relies on data provided by humans and someone still needs to make sure that data is accurate.
"We still need to check, we need to enter the data in (AI), we need to select the right person to input all these data," she said.
Thus, instead of fewer jobs, she pointed out that people might just need to scale up and learn new skills to work alongside AI.
In addition, NRCP Division VIII Social Sciences Dr. Maria Quimbo, a social scientist acknowledged that some jobs might be affected by AI.
However, she highlighted the importance of "soft skills" that AI cannot replicate.
"Things like perseverance, confidence, and empathy, or being able to relate with your peers and your colleagues, all of these things cannot be replaced by AI," she said.
While AI might change the future, she added that there will always be a need for these human qualities.
"So maybe that's right, reskilling, retooling, because it is like we're really going there," Quimbo said as she agreed on the need to upskill people.
"We will just need to learn new skills and keep up with the changing needs of the job market because of the different requirements of the workplace because of AI," she added.