Artificial Intelligence models like ChatGPT have proliferated into people’s lives on a massive scale today, and the old worry of human jobs being replaced by machines is on the rise. Historically, ever since the pace of technology started to increase, the fear of automation has been a real and legitimate one.
This anxiety isn’t without merit. After all, automation has indeed cut down jobs quite a bit, and it looks like AI is going to do the same thing very soon. Today, we look at the types of careers that well-suited to weather the storm of Artificial Intelligence.
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What Makes A Job “AI Safe?”
This is a tough question to answer since AI, by its very nature, aims at getting closer to the very human abilities that we think of as irreplicable. Thus, any prediction that can be made about the job landscape of the future is likely to be flawed to some degree.
This is also because the basis for any assumption relies on using the current capabilities of popular AI models that currently exist today as a point of reference.
Jobs that seem safe now might not be so secure within a decade or so, when more advanced AI exists. An example would be how people often think that roles that require manual labor, like construction or janitorial duties, would be safe from AI.
However, companies like Boston Dynamics have shown us how close we are to seeing efficient humanoid robots.
It is only a matter of time before even physical roles can also be performed by AI-assisted robots. This conjunction between highly modern robots and advanced AI seems to be inevitable
Thankfully for people in fields that require manual labor, it is still quite difficult to create robots that can naturally work in environments that aren’t heavily controlled. So while the truly dystopian reality is still some time away, it is still a good idea to look at what roles people should consider for the foreseeable future.
1. IT Professionals
The field of Information Technology is arguably the most obvious field that will continue to endure even deep into the future. A role that goes beyond the very basic aspects of the digital world is likely to continue being a human-driven one.
One reason for this is that while AI might be great at a lot of things, even basic coding, it isn’t that great at adapting to the complexity of human needs that constantly changes. By the time a self-adapting AI comes into existence that is able to understand the needs of humanity, we will have bigger issues to worry about.
Going into the field of Information Technology makes a lot of sense, given the way the digital world is starting to rival many aspects of the real world.
There are many tips for a career in IT that people discuss online these days. A lot of conjecture exists that roles in Cybersecurity, System Administration, and Network Administration are relatively safe.
Also, those in management roles in IT companies will also find their roles to be pretty secure since managing a team of programmers is not something AI is likely to take over just yet.
2. High-Level Healthcare Professionals
Roles like surgery or other highly skilled healthcare roles are also unlikely to be taken by AI. It might become a reality sometime in the far away future when robotics get advanced enough to handle basic surgeries. However, even if this becomes a possibility sooner, there is likely to be considerable pushback against letting robots take the role of healthcare professionals.
At some point in time, the human connection becomes more important than raw technical skill and performance. Doctors, Nurses, and Medical Assistants all use a good deal of human psychology when dealing with patients. This is not something that even the most efficient AI systems are going to replace just yet.
3. Politics
Politics is no doubt one of those careers that humans will continue to excel at. It is a field that involves considerable skill in human relations, persuasion, charisma, and leadership. These are innately human characteristics that are unlikely to be replicated by an AI any time soon.
Even in the unlikely scenario that it does become a thing a hundred years from now, the closest we would ever get to it is policy decisions being assessed by an AI to determine their impact or something non-invasive like that. Anything beyond that would be a massive point of contention.
One side would argue that artificial intelligence has the potential to lead to much more objective and holistic growth if incorporated more into the government. The other side would view the very thought as a threat to freedom and the status quo and hold that humanity should never be ruled by policies and laws influenced by artificial intelligence.
For the time being, though, it looks like humanity only has to deal with human overlords.
Conclusion
It can seem depressing to think that a career that you have worked hard for or that you are hoping to join may be taken over by AI. However, it is good to remember that the world has seen several revolutionary changes that transformed society in the past. Every single time, humanity has endured.
AI is a challenge that does appear to be much more formidable in terms of its capacity for disruption than previous changes. Nevertheless, human beings excel at adapting. For all we know, we might be witnessing the birth of several new fields and careers that we aren’t even aware of at the moment.
It’s good to know that the future is certainly not as bleak as it might initially seem.