Is AI threatening the last job I had before retirement?

[Genady]

That was, SCUBA diving instructor.

[iNow]

AI generated training content

AI generated knowledge check 

AI powered assistance submersible.

AI generated feedback after initial dives, complete with a recommendation engine on how to close remaining skill gaps. 

Perhaps not yet, but is hardly impossible nor even improbable. 

[Genady]

19 minutes ago, iNow said:

hardly impossible nor even improbable

You mean, in principle. I mean, considering the current AI "boom".

[iNow]

1 hour ago, Genady said:

You mean, in principle. I mean, considering the current AI "boom".

Depends on who’s machine you get to play with 

[Genady]

3 minutes ago, iNow said:

Depends on who’s machine you get to play with 

I don't know what you mean here.

I think that a very advanced robotics is needed for the open water training. Plus, problem solving, thinking on your feet, ability to forecast and prevent issues before they manifest themselves, balancing between training goals, risks, and responsibility. IOW, human experience well beyond training standards.

[iNow]

Sort of like a self driving car

[Genady]

6 minutes ago, iNow said:

Sort of like a self driving car

Rather an automatic driving instructor.

[TheVat]

Teaching of such a skill requires understanding nuances of human emotion and behavior.  I don't think AI will have that.  If you had a student who was trying to conceal that they were frightened, and was more likely to make a mistake underwater because of fear, an AI would not be able to deal with that.  A human teacher OTOH shares with the student a basic range of emotions and so could help.  Also how could an AI understand what early stages of nitrogen narcosis feel like and how to be aware of symptoms?  I'm sure there are dozens of examples.

Any activity that is risky to a human, you want a human sharing that risk with you because you both share motivation to keep living.

[Genady]

10 minutes ago, TheVat said:

I'm sure there are dozens of examples.

Literally!

Add to this that usually the instructor deals with a group rather than one student at a time. So, there is a human group dynamic in play. Sometimes there are couples, and, for example, you see that only one of the partners is really interested while the other feels that they 'have to' go along, which is a bad sign and needs to be addressed.

[TheVat]

Yes, I'm familiar with that "my partner dragged me into this" dynamic.  

When I first knew my wife, I didn't know she was afraid of heights.  I knew that she liked to hike, as did I.  But when she went with me on a hike that involved some steep spots and cliffs, I discovered that she had only come along to keep me company and had not realized quite what the hike involved.  It is awkward when someone is clinging to the ground and afraid to move in any direction.  I had to always position myself so that, in theory, I could catch her or she would at least land on me and that would slow the downward slide.  And kept giving reminders not to look down, and pointing out handholds or easier work-arounds.  What was so great about her was that, when we were back on safe ground, she was really happy and just got over the scary part, even making jokes about it.  

Then, some time later, we went hiking and an unexpected thunderstorm rolled in and pelted us with rain, and the situation was somewhat reversed.  I hated getting soaking wet (it was cold, too) but she didn't mind in the slightest and was joyful.  So, eventually, she passed it on to me and I was enjoying myself.  

[iNow]

3 hours ago, TheVat said:

eaching of such a skill requires understanding nuances of human emotion and behavior.  I don't think AI will have that.

This is partially why I referenced self-driving cars. The AI must understand whether the person walking will dart out in front of the vehicle, or if the barking dog will cross the path, or tens of thousands of other "random stupid shit people do" while out and about... the algorithm predicts behaviors. Unsure why with a bit of tuning and training folks don't think it could do the same in terms of learning scuba and monitoring biosigns of newbies. 

(I acknowledge I'm probably a bit more #techbro on this than others... where I think all of these challenges are more solvable than not)

[mistermack]

29 minutes ago, TheVat said:

So, eventually, she passed it on to me and I was enjoying myself.  

Something of the reverse happened to me. I never worried about lightning, I used to enjoy a good thunder storm. Then I started playing golf with a work colleague and whenever we heard even the most distant rumble of thunder, you could see the panic in his eyes, and he was usually suggesting we should go in, when nobody else was worried. And I sort of caught it off him. Now, I'm nowhere near so confident, I'm looking round at the sky and imagining getting hit, quite nervous now, although not as bad as him. 

And did you know, the safest thing to do, if lightning is about to strike, is to stand on one leg? It's not superstition, it's absolutely true.