'Human judgment remains crucial' — Experts explain why AI still can't replace humans in today's workforce

Independent Singapore

19-05-2025

MALAYSIA: Bernama reported that while artificial intelligence (AI) can take over repetitive tasks, experts say it still cannot replace humans in the workforce.
Jaclyn Sim, senior manager of technical training at the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, explained that AI lacks creative and analytical abilities that are unique to humans.
'Think of AI as another human that can work 24/7,' Ms Sim said, a panellist at the forum titled 'The Future of Connectivity: Advancing Digital Inclusion Through Transformative Technologies' in conjunction with the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2025.
The forum was organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
'We want AI to help us with repetitive tasks, the things we do every day that are the same. We as humans want to do something more creative, more analytical,' she added.
Ms Sim stressed that 'human judgment remains crucial.' She explained that while AI can generate content quickly, AI-generated content could easily be inappropriate or misleading without human oversight.
She also highlighted the risks of AI technologies, which have led to a greater need for cybersecurity professionals.
She explained that AI gives everyone access to all kinds of information, both good and bad. This makes cybersecurity more important than ever to ensure information is 'not polluted'.
Datuk Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin, deputy managing director of MCMC and fellow panellist, echoed Ms Sim's points, emphasising that 'AI is just a product'.
He noted that while it efficiently assembles information, it cannot innovate, unlike humans.
He said, 'This is why we need more innovators in cybersecurity, because threat actors are constantly evolving.'
Mr Zurkarnain added that new skill sets and high-level thinking are needed now , as AI needs to be prompted correctly .
He pointed to recent errors of an AI-generated version of Malaysia's Jalur Gemilang flag, stressing that human oversight is necessary to ensure AI delivers accurate and appropriate outputs.
'It's not only about cybersecurity but also about verifying the output that AI delivers,' he said. /TISG See also What is all the fuss about 5G?
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