Is artificial intelligence going to steal your job? Maybe, or maybe not; it all depends on the nature of your work. In this article, we’ll talk about jobs that AI won’t be taking away any time soon, so read on to – hopefully – allay your fears of job security and look ahead to a bright future with AI.
AI is taking the stage
AI is at the front and centre of innovation in today’s digital age. Not surprisingly, businesses take this technology seriously and are implementing it in their existing processes, resulting in more streamlined, cost-effective operations that maximise their organisation’s efficiency. However, this does not come with a cost, as AI inevitably creates redundancies that make certain jobs obsolete, giving way to costly shake-ups and layoffs.
What jobs might be in danger from AI?
Here’s a hint: it’s not just those jobs that require routine, repetitive tasks that can be delegated to AI-based automated systems.
With the rise of language models like ChatGPT, AI has proven itself to be smart enough to process data and create textual output. As summarised in a The Week piece, this technology will make the following jobs obsolete:
- Media roles. AI, even without human assistance, can now do research and create content like images, news articles and feature-length pieces in no time. In fact, some media companies see AI as more efficient reporters than humans and are now experimenting with AI-made content.
- Teaching jobs. Students using generative AI to cheat exams and homework make traditional human instructors inefficient educators. This ongoing issue will inevitably give rise to AI-based technology to better facilitate learning and detect intellectual dishonesty. Plus, AI can take repetitive tasks off of teachers’ hands, making teaching assistants redundant.
- Legal administration roles. The narrow range of jobs in the legal industry, combined with AI taking over administrative and research roles, might just spell the demise of clerical jobs in this sector. Legal assistants and paralegals will be most especially affected.
Is your profession AI-proof?
That all said, should you worry about AI kicking your career into oblivion? According to article in The Week, you should rest easy if you hold any of the following jobs:
- Creative roles. Even as generative AI dips into visual arts and literature, creatives should not fear losing their jobs. Unlike AI, these folks can create new ideas that take human nuances into account, rather than simply rearrange visual objects and mimic existing aesthetics.
- Medical practice. Yes, medicine can be automated – but patients would still rather deal with human doctors and medical staff. This need for human connection as people deal with stressful health issues practically insulates the industry from AI-driven job insecurity.
- Skilled trade. Professionals like engineers, architects and scientists all work in unpredictable environments that require agility and complex problem-solving skills – traits contemporary AI technology is still lacking. The best that AI can do is make the job easier for specialists rather than eliminate the work altogether.
It may be too early to worry AI-driven unemployment
It’s worth remembering that AI, even in its current state, is still a new technology that requires further refinement to be able to completely supplement human workers. For now, they are helpful assistants, and it’s up to companies to create a resilient organisation to keep AI from displacing its human workers.