News/Research

Ken Goldberg on CBS Local on AI and the Workforce

08 Nov, 2017

Ken Goldberg on CBS Local on AI and the Workforce

BCNM Executive Director and UC Berkeley professor Ken Goldberg was quoted in a CBS Local article by Kiet Do and Molly McCrea, about artificial intelligence and its disruptions to the employment market.

The article discusses positive and negative perceptions about AI, drawing from experts including Elon Musk, McKinsey Global Institute partner Michael Chiu, and robotics company CEOs Rory MacKean and David Zito. Among them is Ken Goldberg, quoted below:

“I don’t know about you, but many times when I get a call center, that’s automated. I say “representative, representative. Get me a human out here,” laughed UC Berkeley Professor Ken Goldberg.

Goldberg teaches robotics and automation at the university’s Laboratory for Automation Science and Engineering or AUTOLAB.

He says the human touch is key.

“Any job that involves any interpersonal relationship is going to continue and is going to be increasingly important,” explained Professor Goldberg.

These jobs include registered nurses, teachers and team managers.

Also protected are occupations that involve creative work expertise such as coders, personal trainers and hair dressers. Goldberg explains at this point, robots can’t perform fine motor skills.

“I think humans have many good years left,” said Goldberg with a laugh.

Read the full article on CBS Local here.