Will Artificial Intelligence Replace My Job? How to Thrive in an AI Era

This question has been asked, answered, and discussed in all manner of ways ever since ChatGPT became mainstream. The excitement of a seemingly aware artificial intelligence took the world by storm. After the novelty of it all wore off, some difficult questions emerged. One such concern revolves around whether AI will eventually lead to job displacement; will AI render your job obsolete?

To be blunt, I don’t know. I don’t know your employment, your circumstances, or your grievances. In truth, nobody does. But what I do know is some history, and how we can learn from it.

I’ll start with ancient Greece.

Hellenistic organizations used to employ a man who counted their steps while walking. They were known as Bematists. This job was integral to measuring distances from place to place. Bematists were so crucial to the success of society at this time that they even accompanied Alexander the Great during his campaign in Asia, assisting in developing maps using sophisticated mechanical devices. As technology advanced, we found alternate, more efficient methods of mapping distances. Now, we use radar to measure distance by transmitting and observing electromagnetic waves.

A radar operator does the same job that a Bematist did in ancient Greece. Did technology make a Bematist’s job obsolete, or did it simply make the job more accessible? I argue it’s the latter, and AI is no different. Very few people can accurately keep track of their steps without losing count for weeks or months at a time. Most certainly not everyone at that time knew how to use the devices required for the task.

Let’s apply this line of thought to the modern era, where digital content creators (artists) are among those who feel the most displaced by the advent of AI. Admittedly, there are ethical concerns around the subject that have caused some of these grievances, but that is not within the scope of this article. The purpose here is to discuss the practicality of the subject.

Corporations have begun incorporating AI-generated art into their works, much to the chagrin of some consumers. They are annoyed with the use of AI art because of one specific reason: it’s done poorly. As a result, more savvy corporations have started to replace their digital content creators with AI correction specialists. This “replacement” is in name only, as it tends to be the same people who were doing the creating in the first place. Now, instead of working on one piece for a week or two, they can correct a developed piece in a day. In other words, they can apply a more efficient but similar skill set. 

It’s important to address a hanging thread here—I’ve intentionally used the term “digital content creators” instead of artists. Art is a very broad term and can mean just about anything. I know some passionate developers who look at certain code and proclaim that it is art. I can’t disagree with that. Art is timeless, and it is human. 

We have printers and cameras, and yet the Mona Lisa, the Divine Comedy, and Michelangelo’s David remain a part of humanity’s treasure despite our technological advances. As such, I have the rather incendiary opinion that to thrive in an AI era, occupations can never truly replace art. AI will never be able to invoke the emotions necessary for something to become timeless, not without human intervention.

This doesn’t address some of the more common worries, however. For the average person, the normalization of AI will likely affect their situation. To address this, I have two sentiments to share—one for employees and the other for employers. I’ll start with employees. 

It is scary; such a drastic change that may affect your livelihood is terrifying. But it is still within your control. AI is, at a fundamental level, a tool. It is just a complicated version of a hammer or a screwdriver. Instead of fearing it, embrace what it can do for you. As an example, transcribers can use AI to do the raw conversion of audio to text, and then they themselves can simply check the writing. 

There are more benefits to using this tool correctly than there are dangers to using it incorrectly. I wholeheartedly believe that to be the case. 

As for employers, understand that AI cannot be reasoned with. It can be programmed or adjusted, but that requires very specific coding. It isn’t capable of off-the-cuff improvisation, nor of on-the-spot thinking. It hasn’t been trained the way your employees have been trained.

Consider the pay you’re giving your employees as an investment. They understand the work and can assimilate with the digital workforce component with some training. They understand what’s expected of them; they’ve delivered enough times. Strive towards helping them figure out how to maximize their efficiency with the use of AI. It’s a tool, not an alternative.

There are very real and tangible uses for AI that we need to be wary of, but one’s employment is a complex problem with a deceptively simple solution.

Work with each other.

References

Tzifopoulos, Y. (2012). Bematist. In K. Nadon (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09247

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. (2018). Foresight on New and Emerging Occupational Safety and Health Risks Associated with Digitalisation by 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/foresight-new-and-emerging-occupational-safety-and-health-risks-associated

Westby, S., & Riedl, C. (2024). Collective Intelligence in Human-AI Teams: A Bayesian Theory of Mind Approach. arXiv | Cornell University. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.11660