The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed the workplace. According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 85 million jobs will be replaced by AI in two years!
While AI can be highly efficient in automating certain tasks and manual labour, technology still cannot displace humans in the workplace. Wondering why? We’ve invited some Malaysians in managerial roles to weigh in.
1. “Humans have higher adaptability.”
“Let’s say we receive misleading info or “fake news”, my team can quickly make judgements based on our knowledge and experience. While AI can write articles, I don’t think it can determine the validity of widely circulating news!” — Leng Leng, Editor
AI relies heavily on programming. If the data is not up to date, AI will be unable to deal with ever-changing trends or unforeseen circumstances. Humans can quickly adapt to new situations through reasoning and improvisation.
2. “Businesses require authentic connections!”
“We’re social creatures! When it comes to customer servicing or marketing, we often need to connect on an emotional level. Sometimes we even need to sweet-talk our clients! I don’t see AI doing that.” — Luke, Client Manager
Emotional intelligence is crucial for businesses to connect with potential clients and close sales. Machines are unlikely to forge strong interpersonal relationships with humans due to the lack of empathy and human experience.
3. “AI falls short of contextual understanding.”
“We often have to tackle ambiguous situations that involve moral standards and social norms. Take verbal assaults for example, if there are no direct insults or curse words involved, I don’t think AI can understand the implied message.” — Joanna, HR Manager
Fields like journalism, law, and policy-making require subjective judgments based on social dynamics and cultural norms. AI may be good at analysing data, but it cannot understand the context behind those data.
4. “We have security and privacy concerns.”
“We’ve seen it in movies. If AI falls into the wrong hands, it can be misused to develop more advanced attacks! How much can we trust AI for keeping our highly confidential data safe? I for one will never disclose my passwords to untrusted software!” — Kyle, IT Manager
Although AI can enhance cybersecurity measures, it might also possess exploitable vulnerabilities. A company’s security and privacy will be threatened if hackers use AI to bypass and manipulate security systems.
5. “AI lacks crucial soft skills!”
“AI only responds to fixed data and this leaves no space for imagination. I mean, can it offer out-of-the-box video ideas to promote a new product? It can offer some suggestions but the best ideas usually come from human experience and brainstorming with a team!” — Chloe, Creative Content Lead
Soft skills such as creativity, intuition, and teamwork are crucial in every industry. While humans are taught to develop these skills, AI lacks the emotional intelligence and reasoning to acquire soft skills.
While AI can be highly beneficial in the workplace, advanced technology is designed to complement our work instead of replacing the human workforce.
People are still the major factor behind a company’s success. After all, there would not be Artificial Intelligence without human intelligence! This is why successful companies like Sunway are going above and beyond in appreciating their staff:
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, Sunway is attributing its success to the people behind the brand & honouring them through a heartwarming video!
The video features four representatives of Sunway employees sharing the core values of the brand: Integrity, Humility and Excellence. Under the leadership of founder and chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, these values have guided Sunway to its success today!
Wait… how did Sunway come about?
Do you know that Sunway City Kuala Lumpur was once a tin-mining wasteland?! During the 19th century, Malaysia was one of the largest tin producers in the world. While the mining industry boosted the country’s economy, it also resulted in negative environmental impacts:
- Deforestation
- Erosion
- Loss of soil fertility
- Contamination of streams and wetlands
After witnessing the devastating impacts of tin mining, Jeffrey Cheah founded Sunway City on the concept of sustainable development in 1974. Adhering to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), the company transformed a tin-mining wasteland into a greenland!
Sunway has come a long way!
Since then, Sunway has grown to become one of Southeast Asia’s leading conglomerates pursuing various industries, including real estate, construction, education, healthcare, retail and hospitality. To date, the brand has 13 business divisions with over 50 locations worldwide!
Sunway’s achievements did not stop there. The brand has just recently clinched not one, but FIVE awards at the Putra Brand Awards 2022, with Jeffrey Cheah crowned the Putra Brand Personality of the Year!
These award wins serve as a token of recognition for the company’s continuous commitment to the five pillars that define the Sunway brand over the course of five decades: People, Sustainability, Businesses, Community, and Leadership.
What’s more significant is that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 21% of companies around the world make it past their 20th anniversary. How amazing is it that Sunway has been standing strong for 5 decades?!
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Sunway took the opportunity to dedicate its success to the staff, in compliance with the ‘People’ brand pillar. This is because, at the heart of all achievements, there are 16,000 employees behind the brand. Without the dedicated employees, the company would not have achieved its milestones!
Click here to find out how the people behind the brand are appreciated as Sunway welcomes its 5th decade of success! For more information, visit Sunway’s official website. Don’t forget to follow Sunway Group on:
