Are We Creating Tools or Replacing Ourselves?

A few years ago, a film about rockets was considered a mere science fiction. Today we watch them shoot across the land and sea. It goes the same way with artificial intelligence. What was deemed almost impossible is now part of everyday news.

How does AI work generally? At its core, artificial intelligence learns from data. It studies patterns from words and images to make predictions or decisions. The more data it processes, the smarter it seems. For example, a chatbot improves and refines itself every time people interact with it, recognizing patterns
linguistically.

AI has transitioned from concept to reality. Algorithms nowadays write reports, create designs, compose music, and even predict the stock market. The IMF has predicted that 40% of global jobs are exposed to AI, meaning in advanced economies that exposure could result in massive unemployment if the individuals fail to adapt to AI.

According to Business Insiders, nearly 87% of business leaders are adopting AI to their businesses, compared to 27% of regular employees. Around 45% of employees reported higher efficiency after integrating AI into their work, such as marketing to healthcare, improving the accuracy, and saving millions of hours of manual labor. This gap indicates deeper than just the function of the technology itself. It illustrates how those people in charge are embracing AI to increase efficiency, even at the cost of human jobs. 

Although it does not seem to be a very new topic, working with AI seems kind of uncanny – almost as if sharing your space with a subject that actually possesses cognitive awareness. Thereof, the real question is, does it exist just to outshine you – or to truly assist you?

Based on McKinsey & Company, around 23% of current jobs globally will go through changes by 2027 due to AI and related technologies respectively. It reveals how the world is shaping and reshaping itself quickly. For developing nations like, Indonesia, the challenge is especially complex. Most of the available jobs in Indonesia are related typically to mechanical skilled employment.

According to Badan Pusat Statistik Indonesia, the biggest percentage of Indonesia’s employment is in the service sector with 49-50%, manufacturing with 29-31%, and agriculture with 13-14%. These occupations involve mostly mechanical skills and are, thereof, vulnerable to automation. Furthermore, the International Labour Organization reports that 54–67% of manufacturing jobs across ASEAN-5, including Indonesia, are at high risk of automation.

Consequently, we as humans — the ones currently in control — are in dire need of strategies to “survive” in this era of Industry 5.0. First of all, skills have to be always upgraded. It is indispensable. 

AI can upgrade itself in seconds by processing vast data, while humans need time to learn. Thus, an individual, regardless, has to possess a skill that cannot be performed by AI, for example, skills related to human relations, such as, psychology, teaching, and in most cases, medicine — patients need a thorough examination by a real doctor to conclude a concrete, real-life diagnosis.

Equally vital is ensuring that AI remains inclusive and ethical in a sense that — since AI is so integrated in our daily lives — AI must benefit humans regardless of any geographical and cultural gaps. It is critical that developers be aware of reaching people in different fields of life when gathering data to keep AI relevant and updated. Knowing the problems faced by humans in any walk of life is already the first step to improving AI that benefits everyone fairly. 

When AI as such is possible and employed duly alongside mankind, it enhances efficiency, improves precision, and helps us complete tasks efficiently. When used wisely, this kind of collaboration between humans and AI can achieve far more than  conventional ways. It doesn’t just make work easier. It can lift entire economies.

Research from CEPR shows that the macroeconomic impact of AI contributes around 0.5–0.6% to global labor productivity. With broader adoption, this could increase to  up to 2%, reflecting AI’s capacity to enhance efficiency across industries. Smarter systems mean higher productivity, new types of jobs, and better work quality.

This is where artificial intelligence aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. By promoting innovation and efficiency, AI can help industries grow while giving people more opportunities to focus on meaningful, creative, and high-value work. From Microsoft’s 2025 “Year the Frontier Firm is Born” report: At firms with advanced AI deployment, 90% of employees reported opportunities to do meaningful work, compared to 77% globally. The key, however, lies in how we use it to empower rather than exploit. 

All in all, AI is created to aid us. It is one of the main reasons why it exists. It was and still is never meant to invade our world, but to innovate us. The point being AI should never be employed to replace real human roles.

AI should ideally be employed to assist and co-work for the utmost importance of human benefit. Every technology containing the word “smart” or “intelligent” is only as brilliant as the humans who invent it and those who utilize it. The real challenge is not whether machines have the frightening potential to replace us, but whether we will keep choosing to evolve, to learn, and to lead with regard to AI programming. 



This article is written by Sekar Parameswara Meilia Soegiharto as an data analyst and AI enthusiast from Universitas Brawijaya.