Written by Brandon Yu I 3 min read
“Am I going to be replaced by AI?”
That is one of the top five questions people have when it comes to AI. Maybe it’s because you’ve read the Goldman Sachs’ articles saying how AI is going to expose 300 million full-time jobs to automation. Or maybe it’s because Ben Goertzel foresees AI taking over 80% of jobs.
Well, we’ve got a far more optimistic take, and you might like this a little bit better.
7 in 10 people surveyed believe that AI is going to replace roles in HR, data parsing, coding, and communications (Fortune).
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence
These claims definitely have merit. The AI market is experiencing robust growth, with a global market size of $119.78 billion in 2022 and expected to hit $1,597.1 billion by 2030, with a registered CAGR of 38.1% from 2022 to 2030.
Generative AI has enormous potential to increase your productivity and efficiency. We’ve seen AI leave its mark on your personal tasks, such as how you check out groceries using Caper.ai or book your personal appointments using Presence.ai.
The exponential growth of the AI industry is predicted to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.
We’ve discussed several use cases and current examples of AI previously, but one question still remains: will AI take away my job?
Our answer: maybe.
But the answer isn’t that simple. The truth is that AI will take away many jobs, but it will also create many more. Don’t be scared that AI is going to take your job - instead, view this as an incredible opportunity to upskill and leverage this trend to supercharge your career.
Here’s why.
AI is only going to increase job opportunities
Countless times throughout history, there has been a massive uptick in jobs created as a result of revolutionary technology. Personal computing and the Internet have generated millions of jobs since their inception. The rise of mobile devices created millions of new opportunities in software and app development, drone operations, and content creation on YouTube and TikTok.
We’re confident that Generative AI will follow a similar trend.
In fact, a shocking 60% of jobs in 2018 did not exist in the 1940s. Just look at the jobs that didn’t exist 15 years ago - common occupations of Data Scientist, Mobile App Developers, and Cloud Architects were unknown back then.
TechCrunch is saying that the best way to avoid a down round is to found an AI startup. This is indicative of the massive opportunity ahead of us with AI. Given the myriad of challenges that AI can address, it's an open field for entrepreneurs with innovative solutions. From AI-powered personal assistants and chatbots like Sprinklr to advanced predictive analytics and automated workflows like Zapier x ChatGPT, the possibilities are endless.
AI will create more jobs than it will eliminate. This has been true historically, and it will be true now. AI gives back the creative capabilities to solve meaningful problems to millions of consumers. Most of those jobs have yet to be defined or created, but will soon emerge as AI is further adopted.
How will AI create more jobs?
AI makes it incredibly easy to learn efficiently and quickly. You’re able to use tools like Source.ai to generate various lines of code for your minimum viable product (MVP), trimming down how long it takes to write software. Even those with minimal coding experience can contribute meaningfully to the software and technology space. This democratization of tech expertise broadens the opportunity pool, making room for a whole new generation of innovators and problem solvers.
AI is generating net-new job titles
AI is not just transforming the tech industry; it's making inroads into virtually every sector.
Healthcare, finance, retail, logistics, and manufacturing – are all experiencing seismic shifts in operations due to AI. Roles such as AI Ethics Officer, AI Trainer, or AI-enabled Healthcare Analyst didn't exist a decade ago. These are highly specialized roles that require understanding not just of AI, but of the specific industry in which they operate.
We want to highlight three main AI jobs that we predict will be increasingly important over the next few years.
Prompt Engineers are experts at interfacing with AI
Prompt Engineers are at the forefront of shaping AI's potential to generate high-fidelity outputs and responses. As a new category of AI specialists, these professionals curate, design, and fine-tune prompts to guide AI models effectively. Their expertise lies in understanding the intricacies of AI algorithms and tailoring inputs to elicit the most precise and contextual responses.
The emergence of this role underscores the increasing demand for human skills in managing and directing AI technology. It's an exciting convergence of creativity, linguistic acumen, and technical know-how, all geared toward optimizing AI systems' comprehension and responsiveness. This novel profession signifies another step in the integration of AI into various aspects of our lives, further emphasizing the transformative and job-creating potential of AI technology.
We predict that prompt engineers will be increasingly in demand in the next few years. By the next five years, these specialists will be training high-performing teams, and teaching employees and clients alike on how to effectively interface with AI.
Prompt engineers will be essential in guiding AI models effectively, before becoming a highly-valued skill in everyone over the next few years.
AI Forensic Analysts will decipher AI versus Human content
With the rise of AI-generated content (such as Midjourney), there’s going to be a growing need for AI Forensic Analysts.
Their main responsibility is to distinguish between AI-generated content and human-created material, a critical task in an era where AI is increasingly capable of creating sophisticated and authentic-looking content. Armed with an in-depth understanding of AI technology, machine learning algorithms, and human linguistic nuances, these specialists scrutinize and analyze textual, visual, or auditory content to verify its origin.
Their role is not only crucial for fact-checking and information integrity but also instrumental in legal and security contexts where discerning AI from human involvement may have significant consequences. In essence, AI Forensic Analysts are the gatekeepers of authenticity in a world where the line between humans and AI is becoming increasingly blurred.
We predict that the demand for AI Forensic Analysts will only continue to grow, especially with the greater adoption of AI and AI-generated content.
On the contrary, human-generated content will become more valuable. Humans will lean on empathetic, humanistic traits that will continue to drastically differentiate them from their AI counterparts.
The Chief Automation Officer will lead the AI adoption
The role of a Chief Automation Officer (CAO) signifies a new era in corporate leadership, where AI and automation are pivotal to business operations.
A CAO's prime responsibility is to seamlessly integrate AI technology into daily workflows, with a keen focus on optimizing team productivity and operational efficiency. Unlike the Chief Operations Officer, the CAO is directly immersed in AI and automation technologies. They possess a deep understanding of machine learning, robotics, and process automation tools, and their role extends beyond managing operations to reshaping them.
The CAO will likely be a plugins and trends expert, being very connected to emerging technologies and companies that offer the latest and greatest AI integrations for their teams’ workflows.
The CAO takes a hands-on approach, working with different departments to understand their processes, identify bottlenecks, and implement AI-powered solutions. By doing so, they lead the digital transformation of the organization, enabling higher performance, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. In a rapidly evolving corporate landscape, the CAO stands as a testament to the increasing significance of AI in driving business success.
The Chief Automation Officer will be one of the most vital roles emerging from the AI revolution.
AI is dramatically raising the bar for talent
As AI permeates everyday life, there is a growing need for professionals who can bridge the gap between technology and the general public. This calls for a wave of writers, educators, and marketers who can translate complex AI concepts into easily digestible information.
All throughout, AI will noticeably raise the bar for talent.
AI will be most beneficial to low-skilled generalists over high-skilled specialists. AI closes the specialization gap through its ability to effectively democratize knowledge and rapidly upskill its users. More people will be able to learn how to code, build businesses, and create content in ways that are engaging and profitable.
Onova CEO, Victor Li, wrote a post on how generative AI is bringing about the era of the “Idea Guy”. We will see the most transformative ideas coming from business users and frontline staff that most intimately understand customer pain points, as opposed to technical experts operating at a higher level.
The consumer is the biggest benefactor in the AI Revolution
Who wins the most? It’s all of us, the consumers.
There is going to be an unprecedented improvement in customer experience and satisfaction. The rise in AI means better products and services in a faster, more efficient, and most cost-friendly way.
Amongst employees, AI means higher job satisfaction and lower burnout. Leveraging AI, employees will be free to conduct work that’s less repetitive and more creative in nature.
In conclusion, the rise of AI is not a job killer, but a job creator. It's a catalyst for economic growth, societal advancement, and personal development. Just as we adapted and thrived in the age of the internet, so too will we navigate and prosper in the era of AI.
The future is bright, and AI is leading the way. This is about being part of a technological revolution that has the potential to improve lives on a scale we've never seen before.
