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Robotic arms assemble cars on an electric vehicle production line in Jinhua in China’s Zhejiang province on April 26. Photo: China Daily/Reuters
OpinionLetters

Letters | AI need not be all bad news on the job front

  • Readers discuss the potential for new technology to create jobs, and the confidence gap between men and women
Technology
Letters
Letters
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The views expressed in the op-ed, “How to keep generative AI from fully replacing humans – soft skills and entrepreneurship” (October 8), resonate well when placed in a historical context.

Technological innovations, since the Industrial Revolution, have consistently raised concerns about the replacement of humans by new technology. Yet, as history shows, in response to these challenges, society has adapted and created new opportunities, often necessitating the skills highlighted in the op-ed.

For example, with the emergence of assembly lines, new roles surfaced, responsible for operating and maintaining machinery, overseeing quality control and managing logistics. Furthermore, the increased production and cost savings enabled businesses to expand, resulting in the creation of managerial positions in marketing and sales. These roles introduced demand for problem-solving skills.

Let’s not underestimate the role of regulation and public trust. Within the aviation industry, despite advanced autopilot technologies long being available, stringent regulations and the need to secure public trust dictate that a human pilot must still be present in the cockpit to ensure safety. Established norms and trust-building mechanisms can constrain the complete replacement of humans by AI.

Rob Yau, Kennedy Town

Give girls a confidence boost

I am writing to express my opinion on the report, “Should women fake confidence? Why the ‘girl boss’ character distracts from bigger problems – like why there’s a gender confidence gap in the first place” (October 12), which highlighted the confidence gap between men and women. For example, in a maths and science test, women performed better than men, but they believed they had performed worse.

Teenagers also respond differently to gender differences. Boys view the emergence of secondary sexual characteristics like the Adam’s apple as a sign of maturity, but girls are embarrassed by the changes in their bodies during puberty. Girls also tend to lose confidence in their sporting ability around this time, buying into the wider stereotype that men are more competent than women in general.

We need to do more to encourage girls.

Amy Chen, Kwai Chung

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