How will AI affect professions in the next 10, 20, and 30 years? Should professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and architects be concerned about the possibility of being replaced by robots, or should they embrace AI to harness its benefits?
In a fascinating lecture held at Fladgate Partnership’s offices—thanks to Avram Kelman, Fladgate partner and a Hebrew University alumni who’s a member of BFHU’s Legal group—Professor Richard Susskind OBE KC (Hon) delved into “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Professions – Friend or Foe?”
During his lecture, Professor Susskind, who envisions a world of online courts, AI-based global legal businesses, liberalised markets, commoditisation, alternative sourcing, disruptive startups, legal training in virtual reality and a new range of law jobs, encouraged attendees not to worry about another technological advancement but to consider whether they want to compete with the systems or be among those who build them, something that is not necessarily relates only to software engineers but to everyone, and emphasised that it’s not just an opportunity but an obligation.
Professor Susskind predicted that many professions would be dismissed as the market commits not to the professions but to the service. He remarked, “People don’t want architects; they want nice houses. They don’t want neurosurgeons; they want health. And for a particular type of health problem, neurosurgeons are undoubtedly the best solution we have today. But this might not always be so” and questioned: “In the future, how will we solve the problems to which the professions are currently our best answer? Why not develop systems that can help far more people than we do today? Our main goal is to diagnose the aspects that we need to preserve and what we need to improve”.
Thank you to everyone who came, see you again next time!