The drumbeat has begun and it looks like it may be us against the machines as artificial intelligence (AI) begins to encroach on jobs, publishing, even the arts. That’s why the human touch matters now more than ever, whether it’s in design or caring for a patient at their bedside.
What AI can’t do
There are now robotic arms that can perform surgery, so there’s a lot that AI can do. However, if you’ve been to a busy hospital lately, you’ll see it’s still a very high-touch business. Nurses, doctors, therapists, aides and the environmental services staff all bring their expertise to the patients, whether it’s a direct contribution or whether they are behind the scenes.
Some people are comfortable choosing their own investments; however, many people turn to the knowledge and expertise of their financial planners to build their futures. These are relationships built on trust. Accounting software may be slick enough to help with taxes, but an accountant sitting across from you will ask questions you may never have thought to answer on a spreadsheet. Attorneys, too, are at risk of artificial intelligence taking over portions of their jobs, but when it comes to fighting for a client in court, that’s still an “in real life” phenomenon.
Expertise by niche
White collar professions aren’t the only ones who are under the seige of AI. There’s a raging debate in the art world, including literature and the visual arts, about whether AI-produced products can be considered “art.” Craftspeople continue to produce and their human touch is what gives their craft cachet.
The gifts of our imaginations continue to be expressed in every form — dance, painting, sculpture, textiles, woodworking. To lose that human touch would be to lose the soul of their work.
Designers and builders bring their knowledge and expertise to create homes and offices of value and beauty, buildings that reflect the purpose of the owner. Gardens are designed, public parks are constructed, and in towns where public art is rampant, walls are covered with murals that include cultural touchstones.
The more AI infiltrates our lives, the more we need the human signature.
