AI- The future of work

Over the past few weeks, I have been amazed by the capabilities of two forms of AI: ChatGPT, a language-based AI that can create content intuitively and uniquely, and Midjourney, an art generator that can generate computer art in any style with hyperrealistic detail. Midjourney is able to beautifully fuse ideas and concepts, completing tasks that would have previously taken months in just minutes. Similarly, ChatGPT is able to generate code or invent a board game if asked. In ChatGPT's case, I even described a concept of a brand and asked it to generate a few slogans in accordance with my description, which it did flawlessly. Quite interesting if you were to be into marketing.

What amazed me even more was the potential for these two AI models to support each other, with ChatGPT helping me to improve the descriptions for art generation. This has led me to consider the potential impact of integrating different AI content models, which could potentially result in professional content creators becoming obsolete within the next few years or even months. A child could potentially perform these tasks, similar to how a child uses a calculator for basic math. This raises questions about the future of originality and simulacra and whether normal content creators will be able to compete.

While I understand that my thoughts may have an undertone of a Luddite, it is important to understand all the factual evidence. AI may serve as an exoskeleton of sorts, helping people with heavy lifting. We should consider the long-term effects this might have on certain skills and capabilities. Will people rely less on their own mental capacity and become more reliant on AI?

Another way to understand this is that the era of the generalist may be surpassing the specialist. With AI able to specialize in various fields, it may no longer be necessary for individuals to specialize in a specific area. Instead, it may be more beneficial to understand the constructs of a large number of fields, with AI able to fill in the gaps and enable individuals to become true polymaths. This could lead to the idea of a single person becoming their own justice league, rather than the concept of Captain America.

It is clear that AI is a game-changer, with emotional intelligence (EQ) becoming increasingly important in comparison to traditional measures of intelligence (IQ). The true humanity in problems is becoming more crucial to understand, with parts of our cognition able to be outsourced to models with vast knowledge and understanding of records that we as humans may not be able to comprehend or remember.

While AI still inspires both fear and wonder in me, I continue to contemplate the potential consequences of creating a bridge between our physical existence and these models. For now, I believe that focus is crucial. It is important to start practicing and educating ourselves about the potential of AI as exoskeletons. At this stage, AI is relatively inexpensive and it is important to embrace the rapidly evolving future it brings. Anxiously and excited I am looking forward to the radical changes that may come."