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This is just the first step in sophisticated robotics taking over jobs of the highly educated. Robotics and automation are working themselves up the skill chain at an ever increasing rate in depth and breadth. This market will be a large consumer of semis of all types and sophistication that along with 3D printing will consume large amounts of semis of almost every type. Add real AI to the mix and we have no concept of the changes society will go through. Technology is already making skill sets obsolete at a rate society in general can't keep up with. Many think many of the functions of doctors could even be eliminated by a machine doing a better job. It's past time we adapt our educational, governmental and social structure for this change that has already started and this is an ideal place to start the discussion and I feel there is no time to waste for we are already behind the curve.
When I read about the "Eve" robot used for drug development it seemed like most of the intelligence was in the AI software, not so much the use of semiconductors to run the software.
I worked at an EDA company called Silicon Compilers and we had a researcher develop a logic synthesis tool that used an AI approach where it learned from each run of the tool, becoming smarter after each experience. The trouble was that each separate installation of the AI-based logic synthesis tool produced different results when using identical inputs, because the experience was different at each installation. There was no unified method to aggregate the experiences.
I do agree with your general observation that technology does tend to automate and eliminate real jobs from our economy, so only the nimble who adapt will have a more secure financial future.
Dear Dan, In just the last couple of years AI has advanced dramatically and is picking up speed. Even now, many are resisting automation and new products by using the political system, government regulations and professional standards that impede progress for the benefit of a few and at great cost to many. With just current technology many jobs could be eliminated outright or made much more efficient, cutting demand dramatically. I could name many fields, but when I have in the past, I have faced a fire storm of emotionally based criticism with little basis in reality. Many, many fields could be partially automated for many years now. Our education system has to adapt to knowledge becoming obsolete. They used to say "Learn as much as you can, nobody can take it away from you". Not true, it can be made totally obsolete and irrelevant, which has the same result. Much of our system of employment, training and education is already obsolete. I feel this forum is just a very small step in getting thoughts, discussions and solutions flowing. I feel education should be on a subscription basis as a start.
