In the past, technological evolution was often discussed as something that would take away people’s jobs. Factory automation, the mechanization of clerical work, and more recently, AI-driven tasks like text generation, image creation, and business automation have all become reality.
However, perspectives are gradually shifting. Technology is evolving not as something that “takes away human jobs,” but as something that “works alongside humans.”
This article clearly explains, with concrete examples, how the role of humans will change alongside the evolution of AI and digital technology.
Technology: From Replacement to Partner
Past technological innovations primarily focused on machines replacing human tasks. Examples include the following shifts:
- Cashier → Self-checkout
- Invoice processing → Accounting software
- Data aggregation → Automated aggregation tools
- Quality inspection → Automated inspection via image recognition
- Phone reception → Voice bots
- Email response → Auto-reply systems
These developments have certainly increased the number of tasks machines can complete independently. However, recent AI exhibits a different nature. Its defining feature is not merely replacing tasks, but integrating into human thought processes.
AI that drafts documents, AI that proposes design concepts, AI that assists with diagnoses—all function as partners supporting human work. In other words, current technology is evolving not to replace humans, but to become entities that work alongside them.
What AI Excels At, What Humans Excel At
So how will roles be divided between AI and humans? The key here is correctly understanding which tasks suit AI and which can only be done by humans.
What AI Excels At
- Processing large volumes of data
- Repetitive tasks
- Rule-based decision-making
- Text summarization and translation
- Pattern recognition
These are tasks that take significant time and effort for humans, but AI can process them extremely quickly and accurately. Recent generative AI, in particular, excels at recognizing patterns and organizing large volumes of information by learning from vast amounts of historical data. Tasks that might take humans hours can yield results in seconds to minutes, significantly boosting operational productivity.
What Humans Excel At
- Reading emotions
- Considering others’ perspectives
- Flexible judgment based on context
- Creative thinking
- Ethics-based decision-making
These remain areas where AI still struggles. In fact, the value of uniquely human judgment and communication is becoming even more important as AI becomes more widespread.
In essence, the future of work will see a clearer division of labor: “Let AI handle what it excels at, while humans focus on roles only humans can fulfill.” Rather than excluding AI, integrating it appropriately will shift work practices toward enhancing on-site creativity and the quality of decision-making.
Changes Occurring in Healthcare, Education, and Business Settings
The model of “people and technology working together” has already begun in many settings.
Healthcare Settings
In healthcare settings, AI-powered diagnostic support has already entered practical use. One prime example is the endoscopic image diagnosis support software “EndoBRAIN.” This program was developed by Cybernet Systems Corporation and approved as a medical device in December 2018. It was jointly developed with research teams from Showa University, Nagoya University, and others.
EndoBRAIN analyzes lesions from both standard endoscopic images and super-magnified endoscopic images to determine whether colorectal polyps are neoplastic or not. Having learned from approximately 60,000 endoscopic images, it achieves a high accuracy rate of 98%, comparable to that of specialists.
When a physician observes the screen, the probability of malignancy is displayed, serving as supplementary information for image interpretation. This is expected to support physicians’ diagnoses and reduce the risk of overlooking abnormalities.
Source：Cabinet Office, Towards Formulating a New AI Strategy
Educational Settings
The use of generative AI is also rapidly expanding in the field of school education. Currently, not only are general-purpose generative AI services readily available for public use, but AI functions are also becoming standard features in many browsers, learning support software, and search engines used daily by students on their devices. This means that without requiring special preparation, the very foundation of school education is increasingly becoming an environment where AI integrates naturally.
In response to these environmental changes, teachers are increasingly using generative AI for daily administrative tasks, such as drafting test questions or creating initial versions of notices and reports. By streamlining time-consuming work, this approach is also expected to free up more time for teachers to engage directly with students.
Furthermore, AI utilization is expanding into learning scenarios. Generative AI can provide explanations and hints tailored to each individual’s level of understanding and interests, making it easier to achieve personalized learning. Additionally, AI-generated new perspectives and questions that lead to deeper reflection can trigger experiences where students deepen their own thinking.
Business Settings
In the business world, generative AI is also becoming integrated as part of daily operations. What was once a sophisticated tool handled only by specialized departments is now permeating a wide range of tasks—from email drafting and automatic meeting summary generation to data analysis support—transforming into a common work tool accessible to any employee.
Generative AI goes beyond mere automation, also serving as a partner supporting decision-making. By extracting trends from vast amounts of market data or comparing multiple scenarios, it enables personnel to make more multifaceted judgments. This has improved work quality even in areas like planning, marketing, and customer support, which previously tended to rely heavily on individual expertise.
Furthermore, a major change is the increased efficiency in information discovery, such as searching and organizing internal knowledge. By accessing internal regulations, past proposals, FAQs, and more, AI instantly presents necessary information, allowing employees to focus their efforts on core value-creating tasks.
It's not that “jobs will disappear,” but rather that “the nature of work will change.”
Many people feel anxious that their jobs might vanish with the spread of AI. However, looking back at history, every technological revolution has transformed existing jobs while creating new ones.
Jobs like “web designer,” “YouTuber,” and “social media marketer” didn’t exist before but were created by the spread of the internet. Similarly, in the AI era, new roles are expected to emerge, such as “people who master AI,” “people who bridge AI and humans,” and “people who oversee AI decisions.”
In other words, while some jobs may disappear, new ones will undoubtedly be created.
The Human Capabilities Needed in the Coming AI Era
So, what capabilities should people cultivate for the upcoming AI era? The following four are crucial:
①The Ability to Formulate Questions
AI excels at providing optimal answers to given questions. However, it cannot automatically determine “what questions should be asked in the first place.”
From what perspective should we view the problem? Where lies the core challenge? Which hypotheses should we test? Deciding these is always the role of humans.
Formulating good questions means clarifying the purpose of the task and creating instructions that enable AI to perform its work correctly.
For example, in business:
- What should be optimized?
- Which metrics should be prioritized?
- Which customer segments should be explored in depth?
The quality of these questions determines outcomes.
In the coming era, those who can design “what tasks to assign to AI” will deliver greater value.
②The Ability to Make Judgments and Take Responsibility
AI can derive patterns from vast amounts of data and present multiple options or predictions. However, AI is ultimately only a source of judgmental material; it cannot bear the responsibility of whether to adopt it. The final judgment and the consequences of that judgment must always be shouldered by “humans.”
For example, in healthcare, while AI may be effective as a diagnostic aid, only a physician can make a comprehensive judgment considering the patient’s condition, medical history, and life circumstances. Similarly, in business, even if the data and proposals AI presents appear rational, decisions must factor in non-quantifiable elements like organizational culture, social impact, and customer sentiment.
In essence, the more answers AI provides, the more humans are required to proactively decide “which option to choose and which responsibility to bear.” This goes beyond mere decision-making skills; it represents a role uniquely suited to humans, encompassing values and ethics.
③The Power to Connect People
No matter how intelligent AI becomes, it still struggles to fully understand and appropriately handle human emotions and relationships. Creating a safe working environment within an organization, engaging in empathetic dialogue, and drawing out a team’s potential are tasks only humans can perform.
Going forward, particular value will be placed on uniquely human abilities such as:
- The ability to listen with empathy
- A mindset that seeks to understand others’ backgrounds and values
- The capacity to connect diverse individuals and build collaborative relationships
The emergence of AI has actually heightened the importance of human creativity and communication skills. It is precisely these irreplaceable human qualities that will gain greater prominence within organizations and society.
④Literacy in Mastering AI
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in our lives and work, the ability to understand how to use it becomes indispensable. This skill is distinct from “judgment” and is a prerequisite for collaborating with AI.
Specifically, it requires an attitude of independently verifying the accuracy of information, based on the premise that AI responses are not always correct. It also requires ethical awareness, such as ensuring generated text or images do not infringe on copyright or privacy.
In essence, AI literacy is not merely technical knowledge, but the intellectual foundation for correctly handling AI as a tool. As AI becomes more commonplace, the presence or absence of this foundation will increasingly determine significant differences in productivity and output quality.
The Future of Work Evolves Through “People × Technology”
The future where people and technology work together has already begun. Rather than AI taking jobs, an era is approaching where it transforms the “substance” of human work, allowing people to focus on more essential roles.
What’s needed for the future of work isn’t mastering AI perfectly.
The most crucial skill is the mindset to continually think for yourself about “what tasks to entrust to AI and what tasks people should handle.”
Technology is not a threat; used correctly, it becomes a powerful ally.
A future where humans and technology work hand-in-hand, leveraging each other’s strengths, is just around the corner.
“DIP Ceph” AI Analysis Service for Orthodontics
Finally, to provide a more tangible example of humans and technology working together, we introduce “DIP Ceph,” an AI analysis service for orthodontics.
DIP Ceph is a cloud service where AI automatically analyzes and overlays cephalometric images, presenting results in seconds. It dramatically streamlines tasks that specialists previously spent considerable time on, serving as a support tool that enhances both the quality and speed of treatment.
DIP Ceph is chosen for its three strengths that elevate analysis work to the next level:
Its intuitive UI enables high-precision analysis from day one. As a cloud-based system, it enables smooth analysis and sharing both within and outside the clinic. Furthermore, it safeguards valuable data with high-level security, featuring financial-grade encryption and multi-layered defenses.
Efforts where AI supports the field and enables specialists to better leverage their expertise are likely to expand significantly in the future.
For detailed features and usage examples, please check the official introduction page.