AI Will Not Replace Humans From Workforce in Asia: Debarati Guha

Since artificial intelligence was first presented to the public, it has quickly become the topic of conversation in the world. The question of whether it will be able to take over jobs previously performed by humans is the primary subject of these discussions. Because of the widespread use of this technology by businesses all over the world, there is now a significant number of people who are without jobs.

"Generative AI and the Future of Work in America" by McKinsey Global Institute is a new report that provides insight into the potential effects of AI on the US work market. Artificial intelligence (AI) and changing consumer behaviors will force people to seek out new job opportunities in a wide range of areas, according to the report. The study found that by 2030, AI might be responsible for 30% of US labor hours, which would mean economic automation would be happening much faster.

The Director, Programs for Asia at Deutsche Welle (DW), Debarati Guha, is of the firm belief that artificial intelligence will not displace people anytime soon, and this is especially true in the Asian region. In an exclusive interview with StartupTalky, she discussed not only her extensive research on AI and its inner workings but also other areas of her career and the ways in which young, aspiring journalists can stay motivated to reach their objectives.

Growing up in a bilingual and multicultural household piqued Debarati's interest in religion, politics, and culture at a young age. She was born and raised in West Bengal and experienced the trauma of division that followed Bangladesh's independence war in 1971.

She began her career as a journalist in 2003 in India and has since covered numerous political events in South Asia and around the world. Some of the notable South Asian figures she has interviewed include Shashi Tharoor (Indian writer and diplomat), Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and eminent economist Prof. Amartya Sen. Since 2005, Debarati has been a resident of Germany.

She received her MA and MPhil degrees in politics at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. The working title of her dissertation was "Representation of Women in Postcolonial Literature: Exploring the Subaltern Studies Perspective."

When Debarati first started working as a journalist in 2003, she was an assistant to the Asia reporter at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in New Delhi. As soon as she completed her training in online, radio, and television journalism in 2007, she joined DW as a senior editor and moderator at the Bengali department. After serving as the coordinating editor for the Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu sections from 2009 to 2012, she was appointed head of DW's Bengali Service in 2013. In 2015, DW entrusted Debarati with its South and Southeast Asian services.

Is Digitization Going to Devour Magazine and Newspaper Culture?
Organizations Need Long-Term Success and Sustainability
There Are No Shortcuts To Success

Is Digitization Going to Devour Magazine and Newspaper Culture?

There is a strong debate that the future lies in digitization as print media is fading away these days. This also means that it is going to be the end of the era for these print journals that have dominated the media market over decades. With many strong players in the print domain shutting their businesses and shifting to online modules, there is a big sword hanging on the remaining one.

Commenting on these developments, Debarati stated, “To some extent, it will, but if we look at the Asian market, we can see that this shift is not going to bring about any significant changes in a short amount of time. Due to the fact that I am an Indian, and because it is true that we are a majority community, I am able to confidently assert that the culture of magazines and newspapers is not going to disappear any time soon. You are currently in India, and you may have noticed that despite the country's huge modernization efforts, there are still areas that are deprived of fundamental necessities like electricity, clean water, and infrastructure, among other things. I mean, even now, people who live in this nation would like to have a newspaper as soon as they wake up in the morning. It is not until they have finished reading a certain magazine or newspaper that they feel as though their day has been finished. In conclusion, I do not believe that this culture will be unsuccessful in Asia. I mean, sure, AI and all that tech is great, but you gotta look at the big picture to realize that if it gets deployed in some workplace operations, humans can get other jobs. For example, if a journalist's job gets taken over by AI, he can still write investigative stories or feature articles.”

Organizations Need Long-Term Success and Sustainability

Making decisions that are beneficial to the company while also having a positive influence on society and the environment is what we mean when we talk about sustainability in business. An all-encompassing strategy in which businesses conduct their operations in a manner that ensures the long-term ecological balance and social well-being of the community. Historically, sustainability was frequently considered an extraneous component, something that companies may choose to concentrate on in order to improve their public image. With that being said, this viewpoint has undergone a significant transformation.

In today's world, including sustainability as an integral part of strategy planning is essential for any forward-thinking company. According to the findings of a recent study, sustainable business practices have the potential to result in a sixteen percent improvement in staff productivity and a nineteen percent rise in organizational efficiency.

Shedding her thoughts on the topic, Guha opined, “Accessibility is the first and most significant factor to consider in this regard. Only in the event that I be easily accessible will I be able to successfully settle a variety of problems. Given that DW has a presence in every region of the world, it is imperative that we implement strategies that are most appropriate for the organization. Due to the fact that regional media houses have access to a greater depth of particular news and information than we do, we are not in competition with them. Because of this, we are attempting to connect these developments in the Asian domain by giving it a German-Asian angle. Taking the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as an example, everyone was discussing the various aspects of the conflict and how it would impact the economies of that region. However, when we take a more holistic approach, we must also take into consideration the fact that a significant amount of edible oil that originates from Russia is utilized by countries such as Pakistan, India, and other Asian nations, which means that these nations are also going to be negatively affected.”

There Are No Shortcuts To Success

In her remarkable career span, Guha had the privilege of conducting interviews with notable individuals such as Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Shashi Tharoor of India, and Professor Amartya Sen, who is both a writer and a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics. This rich experience of interacting with various different thinkers and visionaries has been instrumental in assisting her in establishing a strong career path. And as she progresses further in her job, she continues to put her acquired knowledge to use.

Emphasizing that there are shortcuts to success she stated, “My message to the young people who are just starting out in the journalism field is that there are no shortcuts to success. People will try to cast you in a negative light by saying things like "AI will take over," "this trade will die soon," and "this is not the good career option," but in the end, it's up to you to determine which side you want to take. Thus, you must work hard and stay alert. A person must also maintain an openness to learning over the course of their profession. This is because the instant a person believes that they have mastered all of the crafts, that is the day that their career will come to an end.”

The Impact of AI and ML on Jobs

AI is expected to have a mixed effect on the workforce. There will be some employment losses, but there will also be some job gains. To prepare employees for the AI-driven economy, it is critical to spend on their education and training.

StartupTalkyNitin Konde