Let’s Look Deeper At the AI Bogeyman
Take a quick glance at any tech headlines of late and you’d think our job market was on the verge of an apocalyptic meltdown, thanks to the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The Goldman Sachs guys have been talking up a storm, with their latest report suggesting that up to 300 million jobs globally are under siege.
But What’s This Now?
However, if you delve a little deeper into the matter – and yes, it’s worth a look beyond the sensational headlines – it seems those in the executive suites have quite a different perspective. A recent study by Upwork, the work marketplace, based on a survey of 1,400 U.S. business leaders, shows that a staggering 64% of C-suite leaders actually plan to increase their workforce as a result of generative AI.
“Shocker!” you may say. But, here’s a twist – Kelly Monahan, the managing director of Upwork’s research institute, pointed out that instead of cutting jobs, the big bosses are viewing AI as a partner in productivity.
A Reality Check on AI
Why wouldn’t AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot just oust all human workers? Well, it’s pretty simple. As expansive as their capabilities might be, they’re not omniscient. There’s still a plethora of roles they can’t take over.
To put it bluntly, they’re not all-powerful job snatchers. Yes, ChatGPT could help an HR officer write a report, but assessing a candidate’s cultural fit? Not in their skill set.
What we’re actually seeing, as Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, explains, is that these tools “make individual workers more productive” instead of replacing them entirely.
More Jobs You Say?
Here’s where it gets interesting. With the introduction of these new tools, a crop of new roles are emerging that require the knowledge of implementing and leveraging this technology. Industries like business and professional services, software and technology, media, telecommunications and financial services are already generating these AI-focused roles.
Just to give you an idea, some roles making waves in the market are “AI artist, AI researchers, deep learning engineers, AI chatbot developers, AI writers”, according to Monahan. It seems that generative AI is triggering a spike in demand for these roles.
The Future Isn’t Set in Stone
So, while we’re witnessing a boom in new job roles currently, experts do agree that there’s no certainty about the future. Generative AI might just become the job gobbler we fear someday.
Disruptive technologies of this magnitude are unpredictable. They may bring about vast productivity gains, alter the way work happens in unimaginable ways, and even give rise to new roles, opportunities, products and markets that we can’t foresee today. So, the jury’s still out on this one.
