An AI won’t take your job, but offer you a better one
Your current job probably won’t change much because of artificial Intelligence (AI), but your next job will. …
Even without AI new jobs emerge all the time. I’ve had jobs as a web designer, UX’er, CX’er, service designer, business designer .. all jobs that where younger than 10, five or even brand new when I took them.
We change jobs all the time. It’s not scary or disruptive. It’s a way of life. I’m currently in my 9th job and 14th role, and I’ve only been working for 20 years.
So, what might happen next?
Historically, during any transformational change two things happen: first current work and processes are made more efficient (this is what we are seeing now). This is when a person in the same job, but with an AI will “take your job” .. because they are faster or can do more work than you (so not very admirable).
Secondly most of these “new-ish” AI-augmented work processes are made redundant as completely new ones replace them (1).
This happens every time a new technology is launched into society. People adopt the technology but find new ways to use it. Technology then adopts to the new use and then people take the update and make further changes. This is a continuous cycle of change and improvement. We are in our first AI-cycle.
It is a common misconception that the future will only be a faster or cheaper version of what we are already doing. In reality most things change — a lot.
Therefore the axiom: “an AI won’t take your job, but a human with an AI will” is only right in the very beginning (like right now). Most likely your job will almost seize to exist and new more interesting jobs will emerge.
A more fitting statement would therefore be:
“An AI won’t take your job, but offer you a better one”.
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(1). Kevin Kelly, What technology wants (book)
