AI and Automation: Upskilling for the Future of Work
Will we lose our jobs? Should we be afraid, or remain calm as professionals whose jobs are being "replaced" by AI?
First of all, stay calm. You're not going to lose your job. You'll probably need to learn new things to keep up with today's revolution driven by AI, but everyone will still have their place in the workforce.
From Clueless to Convinced: My Crash Course in Blockchain
In 2019, I had the honor of discussing blockchain technology with a dear colleague, a blockchain expert from Singapore, during his visit to Jakarta. He delivered an impressive explanation of blockchain and how it will impact our lives. He explained the security of this new technology through its cryptographic principles, ensuring data integrity and authentication. As someone who knew nothing about it (even the terms "#blockchain"), I was impressed by how this technology can save resources and make our lives better and simpler.
I then dug up information about blockchain and how it will positively impact many industries. The financial industry, for example, can benefit from more open, inclusive, and secure business networks, shared operating models, more efficient processes, reduced costs, and new products and services. (1)
Imagine you are dealing with a traditional bank. There can be delays and risks involved when it comes to borrowing or lending money. Blockchain technology can act like a secure and efficient system to streamline these processes. It can make things faster and smoother, reducing the chance of errors or problems. This can benefit both borrowers and lenders.
The blockchain system can also benefit other industries, such as real estate. Blockchain can streamline the real estate industry by making buying and selling property faster, cheaper, and more transparent. It can also allow for easier fractional ownership and smoother rental management, making the whole process more efficient and accessible for everyone involved.
Prompting as a New Skill
Okay, enough about me bragging about my little knowledge of blockchain. Let's get back to the main idea of this writing. Yes, we also discuss how new technologies have and will impact our professional lives. How AI offers automation in many things could lead us to "lose our jobs."
My colleague gave me a short and sweet example of how, with the help of technology, we can humanize humans even more. He gave the example of how workers in tollbooth gateways have been replaced with automated machines. These people shouldn't be fired from their jobs; rather, they should be given better jobs that don't involve waiting at tollbooths all day. The employees can be trained and learn new skills that will leverage not only the business itself but also the human capital in the company.
Let me fast-forward to today's situation. A few months ago, I came across an ad by Adobe showcasing their new feature in Adobe Illsutrator that leverages artificial neural networks like the ones used in AI Snap and DALL-E Open Ai . The images they generate aren't bitmap-based, but, drum roll please, vector! How crazy is that? We can then easily edit the presented vector image as we want, just like a usual Adobe Illustrator file. This is awesome! Thumbs up for the Adobe Illustrator and Mad. Make Difference team.
The employees can be trained and learn new skills that will leverage not only the business itself but also the human capital in the company.
Beyond the Prompt: Why Human Expertise Matters in the Age of AI
Now, you might think this could make thousands or maybe millions of illustrators lose their jobs. I beg to differ. I think illustrators can use this technology to help them. Indeed, the correct phrase would be "to help them." Illustrators should learn how to prompt, just like many other writers have been helped with their work by ChatGPT and similar language processing chatbots driven by generative AI technology.
The writing produced by generative AI still needs editing and a human touch, just as I believe the vector image produced by Adobe Illustrator needs the perfection of altered vector points and color changes to suit the clients' initial brief. Here's the thing: someone who knows how to draw can prompt better because they have the skill and can imagine the end result of the image better than those who just provide prompts. Agree?
If you agree with me, then it's a fair opinion to say that we won't lose our jobs. Instead, we are being helped by AI with our tasks so we can leverage our work and have more time in the ideation level. In this case, we need to learn how to create and use prompts in our work as illustrators. In other cases, it might be other skills that could help us leverage our work.
Here's the thing: someone who knows how to draw can prompt better because they have the skill and can imagine the end result of the image better than those who just provide prompts.
Embracing Lifelong Learning in the Age of Advanced Technology
Technology is constantly evolving, and AI is here to be a game-changer. By embracing these advancements, we can unlock a new level of productivity. AI can handle the repetitive tasks that weigh us down, freeing us to focus on what truly matters: creativity, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. This shift requires a willingness to learn new skills, but the payoff is significant. As Claude Bernard, the famous French physiologist, said: "It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning."
I googled the quote from Claude Bernard. If you think about it, in the old days, we would need to read and scan pages of books just to get a simple quote that we wanted to share with our audience. Now, just a simple "prompt" at a search engine would do. As we already know, history tends to repeat itself.
Deni Rachmat is a freelance brand marketer and open to new challenges in marketing, marketing communications, brand development, content writing, graphic design, and digital marketing. Deni also interested in a full time #remotework opportunities in marketing, marketing communications, and business development.
Resources: