There is currently a lot of reporting about ChatGPT and it is also being discussed very controversially. Among other things, there is a debate about whether the use of artificial intelligence could also destroy jobs. One of the better-known research areas for the use of AI is logistics. Autonomous driving of vehicles is mentioned here. So will we soon no longer need truck drivers?
The possibilities of AI in logistics
This is certainly a possible scenario. But if you also look at this point of view from the perspective of the skilled workers , which will be increased by demographic change in the next few years, the use of AI also represents an opportunity in logistics to maintain the flow of goods, avoid traffic jams and thus also for to ensure sustainable and #frictionlesslogistics However, since the technology is not yet fully developed in this area, it will take some time before the truck driving profession becomes extinct.
But artificial intelligence is not as far removed from “the average consumer” as you might think. Anyone who uses a smartphone and has activated facial recognition or the voice assistant, for example, is already actively using artificial intelligence. Cars that can independently recognize and park in a suitable parking space can also be seen more often than you would think. The vacuum cleaner who cleans the apartment when the owners are away is becoming more and more common in households. The list of possible applications of AI that have already been used could be continued. So do we have to demonize AI and portray it as bad? No! In many areas of daily life, this technology has appeared seemingly unnoticed and is used as a matter of course, making our lives easier so that we have more time for the things that really interest us.
Artificial intelligence is also on the rise in professional life. Be it in automobile manufacturing or accounting. Recurring activities that can be boring and time-consuming can easily be taken over independently by intelligent programs.
As modern logistics companies, we are already working intensively on integrating artificial intelligence into our processes. We are currently checking whether AI is able to independently recognize our orders, which we receive as PDFs or as emails, and correctly enter them into our scheduling program. This means our dispatchers have more time to keep the senders and recipients of shipments up to date and to offer an even better service than is already the case. We are not worried that jobs will be lost as a result, because the dispatcher is still invaluable as a control authority for the AI. We also attach great importance to personal contact with our customers, the charging points and of course the recipients we supply. A computer or a program cannot do that.
What concerns do we have about AI in logistics?
Of course, there are also the dark sides of artificial intelligence, because if it is or is programmed incorrectly, considerable damage can be caused. It also cannot yet be 100% ruled out that the AI cannot be manipulated from outside. Enough horror scenarios have already been constructed in visually stunning films from Hollywood to show them again in detail here. Examples include the “Terminator” films as well as the “Matrix” series and others. Ethical and data protection components cannot be ignored either. An AI should not be allowed to decide independently who or what poses a threat.
Apart from a horror scenario that an autonomous truck could, for example, be misused to injure innocent people because there are no longer any truck drivers behind the wheel who could intervene or the use of AI means that computers take over the world, change must happen Don't necessarily always expect the worst!
When it came to using computers, there were similar concerns. A PC can never do what a human can do. He would make mistakes and incur far too high costs. It was also stated here that it would cost a number of jobs and that unemployment would increase enormously. Fluctuating unemployment figures are now nothing unusual and the use of computers has changed the job profile of many professions and some professions no longer exist. The days when a boss summons the secretary to his office to take dictation and she then records the dictation with a shorthand pad and pencil are long gone, but the profession of secretary still exists, even if it is now called “businessman” “woman for office management” is called.
Conclusion
The use of artificial intelligence will definitely change the world of work. New job profiles will emerge and future generations will not understand why we had so many concerns about this today.
We believe that you should think carefully about how you use AI and you definitely need to be aware of your responsibility when and where you use it. Likewise, there should always be a higher-level authority that ensures that no abuse can take place.
Note: For reasons of better readability, the language forms male, female and diverse (m/f/d) are not used at the same time. All personal names apply equally to all genders.
