Artificial intelligence is coming for your job

Several technologies throughout history have faced resistance due to concerns about job loss. Eventually, though they contributed to overall economic growth and prosperity. Today artificial intelligence and its potential to impact jobs are at the forefront of the news. AI will have many positive and negative effects depending on your job and point of view. I am sure knowledge workers, marketers (like myself), and software developers will be impacted. Recent research from OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania reinforces that.

The impact will be undeniable. Goldman Sachs makes the bold prediction that AI could have an effect on over 300 million jobs impacting two-thirds of occupations.

However, some, like Wired Magazine founder Kevin Kelly, are more bullish. He believes workers who use AI to augment our life rather than take away opportunities.

Instead of fearing AI, we are better served thinking about what it teaches us. And the most important thing AI image generators teach us is this: Creativity is not some supernatural force. It is something that can be synthesized, amplified, and manipulated. It turns out that we didn’t need to achieve intelligence in order to hatch creativity. Creativity is more elemental than we thought. It is independent of consciousness. We can generate creativity in something as dumb as a deep learning neural net. Massive data plus pattern recognition algorithms seems sufficient to engineer a process that will surprise and aid us without ceasing.

Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired magazine, Picture Limitless Creativity at Your Fingertips

As someone in 2023, we are at a crossroads in technological evolution. However, it’s not a unique situation. Looking back through history, we can take the example of the Luddites. The Luddites were a group of skilled textile craftsmen in early 19th-century England. They protested against the introduction of mechanized textile machinery, which they believed threatened their jobs and livelihoods. They were named after their supposed leader, the mythical Ned Ludd. The Luddites engaged in acts of sabotage and destruction of the new machinery to protect their trade and way of life. Their movement, while ultimately unsuccessful, highlights the concerns and resistance that can arise during periods of rapid technological change. The point being, the Luddites didn’t survive, and those that resist AI probably won’t either. 

The Luddite Fallacy

The Luddite Fallacy refers to the belief that advances in technology and automation will lead to widespread unemployment and economic decline as machines and computers replace human labor. The Luddite Fallacy is considered a fallacy because, historically, technological advancements have not led to long-term increases in unemployment. Instead, they have generally resulted in higher productivity, economic growth, and the creation of new industries and job opportunities. While some jobs may be displaced or made obsolete due to technological change, new jobs often emerge due to the increased efficiency and new capabilities provided by technology.

Critics of the Luddite Fallacy argue that it overlooks the potential for future technological advancements, especially in artificial intelligence and automation, to have a more significant and lasting impact on employment than previous innovations. However, the overall effect of technology on job markets remains a complex and debated issue.

• Automobiles: The emergence of the automobile industry in the early 20th century threatened the livelihood of people involved in horse-drawn transportation. As the industry grew, however, it created new manufacturing, maintenance, and infrastructure jobs while increasing mobility and economic activity.
  
• Computers: The introduction of computers and automation in the mid-20th century initially led to fears of widespread job displacement. However, computers have revolutionized industries and opened up new opportunities in fields like software development, IT services, and cloud computing.
  
• ATMs: When automated teller machines (ATMs) were first introduced, there were concerns that they would replace human bank tellers. While ATMs did lead to a reduction in teller jobs, they allowed banks to operate more efficiently and allocate resources to other services, ultimately expanding the financial sector and creating new job opportunities.
  
• E-commerce: The rise of e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay initially sparked concerns about job losses in brick-and-mortar retail. However, the growth of e-commerce has led to new jobs in areas like logistics, warehousing, and customer service, while also giving small businesses and entrepreneurs greater access to global markets.

The rise of AI and robotics has led to concerns about widespread job displacement. While some jobs will be lost to automation, these technologies have the potential to create new industries, increase productivity, and improve living standards. According to a report by Deloitte UK, “The stock of work in economy is not fixed; the last 200 years demonstrates that when a machine replaces a human, the result, paradoxically, is faster growth, and in time, rising employment.” In another article by Goldman Sachs, the estimates are that increased overall productivity will generate large gains to our global GDP. As tools using advances in natural language processing work their way into businesses and society, they could drive a 7% (or almost $7 trillion) increase in global GDP and lift productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a 10-year period.

How to Stay Relevant as Artificial Intelligence Evolves

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, there is increasing concern about its impact on the job market. While AI can perform many tasks with speed and accuracy, there are still areas where it falls short. In order to remain competitive in the workforce, it’s important to focus on developing specialized skills that are in demand and cannot be easily automated. Additionally, staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements, building social and emotional intelligence, learning to adapt quickly, and embracing AI as a tool can all help to ensure that you stay relevant and valuable in the age of AI.

• Develop specialized skills: AI can still not perform certain tasks requiring specialized skills and knowledge. Focus on developing unique skills in demand in your field that cannot be easily automated. This will make it harder for AI to replace you. No matter how fast the race cars are at LeMans they still require a driver to win. 
  
• Stay current with technology: Keep yourself updated with the latest technological advancements in your field. This will help you identify areas where AI can be integrated to make your work more efficient and productive. By being familiar with the technology, you can also contribute to the development of AI-powered tools and systems. I read mailing lists (like my Artificially intelligent Enterprise Substack) and watch new tools that launch on Product Hunt to see how I can leverage them for productivity.
  
• Build social and emotional intelligence: AI still lacks the ability to connect with people on an emotional level. Therefore, developing social and emotional intelligence can give you an edge over AI. Focus on building relationships and connections with people in your organization or industry. This will help you understand their needs and work collaboratively to find solutions that AI cannot.
  
• Learn to adapt quickly: The pace of technological change is accelerating, and you need to be able to adapt to new systems and tools quickly. Learn how to learn, and be willing to invest time and effort in acquiring new skills and knowledge. This will make you more agile and adaptable, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve. Thanks to YouTube (I like David Shapiro AI for geeky podcasts) and podcasts (I like the Artificially Intelligent Marketing Podcast) various other outlets there are plenty of ways to keep your skills sharp. 
  
• Embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement: Rather than seeing AI as a threat, view it as a tool that can enhance your work. Learn how to integrate AI into your work processes to make your work more efficient and productive. By working alongside AI, you can enhance your own skills and knowledge, making it less likely that you will be replaced.

I look at AI as a way to become a 10x marketer, someone that can become ten times more productive than without AI tools. That’s a lofty goal but I believe that my experience, empathy, and insights are a way to guide AI rather than be replaced by it.

Evolve or Die (or be left behind)

Knowledge workers who develop specialized skills, stay current with technology, build social and emotional intelligence, learn to adapt quickly and embrace AI as a tool rather than a replacement will be able to remain relevant to the workforce. Developing specialized skills that are in demand in their field and cannot be easily automated can make it difficult for AI to replace them. 

Staying current with technology can help them identify opportunities for integrating AI into their work processes, making their work more efficient and productive. Building social and emotional intelligence can help them connect with people on an emotional level and understand their needs, making them more effective collaborators. Learning to adapt quickly to new systems and tools can make them more agile and adaptable to the ever-changing workforce. 

Finally, embracing AI as a tool rather than a replacement can allow knowledge workers to enhance their skills and knowledge, making it less likely for them to be replaced by AI. By doing these things, knowledge workers can continue to be valuable contributors to their field, even as technology continues to evolve.