AN official of a leading Japanese technological company recently said people must prepare for the bearing and consequences of artificial intelligence (AI).
Fujitsu Ltd. Vice President Yoshikuni Takashige cited the warning in 2014 by British eminent scientist Stephen Hawking against “thinking machines”.
He cited for one the employment scenario in First World countries, such as the US, would drastically change as people will be replaced by machines in some areas of the work place.
Takashige’s warning came before the International Data Corp. (IDC) said the widespread adoption of cognitive systems and AI across a broad range of industries will drive worldwide revenues from nearly $8.0 billion in 2016 to more than $47 billion in 2020. IDC said in a statement on October 26 that the market for cognitive/AI solutions will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55.1 percent over the 2016-to-2020 forecast period.
“The industries that will invest the most in cognitive/AI systems in 2016 are banking and retail, followed by health care and discrete manufacturing,” IDC said.
Meanwhile, Takashige said cyber security is going to be a major challenge in the world’s digital transformation.
He said in a news briefing on October 7 in Makati City that low awareness is one of the causes of cybercrimes. He emphasized the importance of social engineering in thwarting cybercrimes.
He said companies must pursue several awareness campaigns to promote the value of cyber security in the workplace. Takashige said companies must conduct regular audit to ensure the safety of their network.
However, Takashige believes it will be a different scenario in Japan, as AI can help the country by complementing the labor pool in the Japanese economy.
“With a greying population, AI can help Japan a lot by becoming an enabler of workers,” he said. “Human creativity must be emphasized with the growth of AI.”
As far as Fujitsu is concerned, Takashige said the company is seeking to develop partnerships with Asian economies in the areas of disaster rescue and recovery management and business.
He added that the Asian region is relatively fast enough to cope in digital transformation.
“The proliferation of smart phones in countries, such as the Philippines, is considered the start of a digital transformation,” he noted.
In its Philippine operations, Takashige said Fujitsu Philippines is pursuing collaboration through its innovation centers.