Mike Dedunovich answers this quetion. As a person immersed in technology, I can give you a few examples that will help you understand the current state of developments in this area.
We all fly by plane. Did you know that both Boeing and AirBus, 15 years ago, had already, in principle, reached such a level of electronics that they could easily fly without pilots?
And that in general, modern aircraft have artificially created procedures that the pilot must perform manually: leave the flight level, prepare a landing configuration, and so on. But technically the plane itself can do this. If only the manufacturer had not artificially limited it. Not only can it take off on its own, fly to the desired airport and land on its own. If the airport is properly equipped, it can even taxi onto the platform at the boarding bridge itself… .
You may ask: why doesn’t he fly by himself? The answer is simple: would you and your children board a plane without pilots? No. I’m not even talking about the opposition of strong pilots’ unions.
Let’s take a more mundane case: a car. Everyone has heard that several years ago, the AI of autopilots reached such a level that cars could drive on well-digitized streets without drivers. How many journalists from the most famous media outlets relished this topic… . How many bravura reports have been provided by autopilot developers… . What’s in reality? But in reality, there is a terrible shortage of drivers in Europe. Companies lure them away from each other. Europe is literally sucking drivers from the CIS to work for them. Why is it that in the US, permission for cars to drive without supervised drivers has been obtained only in a couple of states at minimum speeds and on highways?
So why is that? Everything is very simple. You can develop anything, but society must agree to accept the consequences of that development. How many people can come to terms with the fact that if an unmanned vehicle runs over someone close to them, then no one will be held criminally responsible for this tragedy? Today technology has run too far ahead of the state of society.
Let’s return to logistics: let’s say our logistics AI robot at its discretion extends the delivery time intervals specified by your customers. That is, not all customers will receive the goods at the agreed time. Your company will save a lot of money on delivery costs by reducing the number of drivers it hires. But customers will be unhappy, tomorrow they will turn their backs on the company and your business will collapse – who will be responsible? AI?
But if the delivery strategies in our system are managed by your logistician, then he is personally responsible for the chosen strategy to the director. This approach is understandable to the director – there is someone to ask to the fullest extent. And there is someone to reward for success. The director has an ally interested in the company’s success – a logistician. And the logistician is in a situation: “all or nothing”. Therefore, he will think very carefully: what strategy shoild I choose?
It’s better for the director not to fire the logistician and put himself in the hands of the AI. It is better for him not only to keep the logistician, but also to reward him for the additional profitability of delivery, which he achieved by responsibly and intelligently managing the AI.