AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are designed to automate specific tasks and make them more efficient.
Some jobs will be eliminated (e.g., customer service, lawyers, software developers, designers), but in other cases, these tools will likely change the nature of the particular role that a person is doing and require workers to adapt to new technologies.
In other words, “if you can’t beat it – join it.”
Chess is a good example that is already here for the past decade. Since ‘Deep blue’ won over Kasparov, it was clear that the best chess player in the world was AI. However, we saw that the interest in chess has grown a lot, and people find it interesting to play with a combination of AI + human players.
Few Examples
It is difficult to predict which specific jobs AI will replace, as it depends on the pace of technological progress, regulatory policies, and how organizations choose to adopt these technologies.
However, here are some positions that could potentially be impacted by AI tools in the future:
Lawyers – AI tools can assist with legal research and document analysis, potentially reducing the need for human lawyers and paralegals.
CPA (Accounting and bookkeeping) – AI tools can automate tasks such as bookkeeping, auditing, and tax preparation. After all, there is a set of rules (a huge one, by design), and it’s repetitive work.
Medical diagnosis and radiology – AI-powered tools can analyze medical images and help diagnose illnesses, potentially reducing the need for human radiologists and diagnosticians.
This is an intimidating one, though it also gives hope. Imagine how many false/positive cases we have today. Hopefully, with AI, we will reduce it to zero?
Here is one example on how GPT4 did a better job then a vet.
Customer support – AI tools could assist customers with inquiries in customer service.
They can handle complex or emotional situations requiring human empathy and judgment.
It might take a few iterations, but we are only at the first steps of this journey.
Content creation – AI tools can assist with writing articles, blogs, essays, and emails.
You can conduct some research with these tools, which will help you write the first draft.
At this stage, you will need some editing. But the direction is that human involvement will be less and less critical or noticeable.
Data entry – AI tools can analyze and process large amounts of data more efficiently than humans, which could reduce the need for humans.
Even today, we can scan and normalize vast amounts of PDFs (or any other unstructured data).
This will be the norm in the future.
Assembly line and manufacturing jobs – AI-powered machines and robots can perform repetitive assembly line tasks with tremendous speed and precision than humans, which could reduce the need for manual labor.
Who said ‘Tesla robots’?
Drivers – It’s true that the dream of self-driving has been here for the past 5 years.
So far, we don’t have the automated Uber, and even Tesla is still ‘finding the right path.’
However, we expect that autonomous vehicles and drones will reduce the need for human drivers and pilots.
The Role of Human
Using AI tools does not necessarily mean that humans are no longer needed.
On the contrary, human expertise will still be required to develop and train these systems. Moreover, AI tools can help human experts focus on more complex tasks, making them more productive and innovative.
The first signs are with tools like GitHub co-pilot that gives developers ‘super powers’ by boosting their productivity. I’ve been using it for the past 7 months, and its ability to write all the boiler-plate code for you is compelling. You still need to pay attention as sometimes it’s writing code that needs to be corrected.
However, the direction is clear.
We are going to a ‘brave new world’, where the product manager can ask the AI to build the software.
You can gain more insights form this academic paper “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact
Potential of Large Language Models.” It was published this month (March 2023) so its updated with GPT-4.
The Future of Work and Education
As AI tools evolve, preparing the current and future workforce for the changes they will bring is essential. This means investing in education and training programs to equip workers with the skills needed to thrive in a world where AI tools are increasingly dominant.
Schools are still trying to figure out what to do that each student can ‘write an essay’ in a few minutes. The main idea, in this case, is to play something other than the mouse/cat game and leverage tools to generate content and catch the ones who do it. It’s about changing the game and, instead of an essay, finding the next level. How can the student show the teacher that they ‘learned’ and ‘understand’ the topic?
In the future, the workforce will likely be more fluid, with individuals moving between jobs and even careers as technology continues to disrupt the traditional job market. We already see it in the past 15 years, and people are moving between positions at an accelerated pace.
This requires us to be flexible and adaptable, always willing to learn new skills and stay current with emerging technology.
Closing
AI tools are changing the job market, requiring workers to learn new skills and adapt to new working methods.
The impact of AI tools on jobs will depend on the specific industry and the tasks that are being automated.
While some jobs may be eliminated, others will require workers to embrace AI tools and work alongside them to achieve greater productivity and innovation.
AI is here to stay, and we must all be prepared to face the challenges and opportunities it presents.
It is essential for workers to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and to continue developing skills that cannot be easily automated (yet), such as the willingness to learn new skills and stay current with emerging technology.
As a bonus, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity are always important.
Be strong.
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