There’s a whole new career path for humans

Artificial intelligence promises machines that can gather data, analyze the data, write up the report, and send out a professional-sounding email so that all you have to do is make sure no one finds out you play Call of Duty all day.

What’s next? Airlines scanning our large intestines?

And then it’ll drive you home and carry on a satisfying how-was-your-day conversation with your partner in your voice while you nap.

I can’t wait.

But it’s been revealed that some artificial intelligence is in fact real intelligence. As in, there’s a human to bail the machine out when it gets confused.

It came out last year that Nissan uses a concept called “Seamless Autonomous Mobility,” which means that if a self-driving car encounters a situation it can’t handle — like a construction area with cones and flaggers telling you to drive on the wrong side of the road — the computer switches over to a situation room where a human surrogate can take over.

This strikes some people as fraudulent. Labeling something as artificial intelligence when in fact it contains real intelligence. But if it works, why not?

I see a whole new career path: humans who are experts at mimicking a computer that’s trying to mimic a human.

“Hi, I’m Dave. Just ask me a question in your natural voice and I will use a neural network modeled on the human brain to give you an answer. Speak now because I’m off in five minutes. Haha.”

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