Importance of Value Creation in a ChatGPT, AI, and Automated World

Chat GPT was recently released by OpenAI and is an optimized language model capable of interacting with users in a conversational manner. It predicts the next word from the prior set of words which opens a new world of use cases in conversational text such as sentences, paragraphs, essays, songs, and more. DoNotPay is the world's first robot lawyer and next month a defendant will receive instructions from the AI assistant to use in court instead of a traditional lawyer.

With tech companies such as Twitter leading the downsizing trend by laying off 50% of their staff, the average working-class individual is wondering how to survive in a world where automation and AI are replacing tasks historically performed by skilled knowledge workers.

So how do you create value in an increasingly automated world? Before I provide my thoughts, I decided to ask ChatGPT myself:

Couldn't have said it better myself :)

ChatGPT recommends 1) Continuously learn and adapt 2) Enhance your problem-solving and critical thinking skills 3) Develop your communication and collaboration skills 4) Build a strong professional network and 5) Focus on the human element.

4 years ago, I wrote an article about the importance of developing yourself into a "Position-less athlete" capable of providing value through a diverse skill set. Today, this concept still holds true. The days of developing a single skill set in a university setting and implementing that skill in a corporation organized by the division of labor is no longer acceptable in the 4th industrial revolution. In the same way you don't need to be an English major to know how to communicate effectively, you don't need to be a computer scientist to leverage technology in the workplace. It is the responsibility of each individual to educate themselves on the latest technology trends and apply creative, critical thinking skills to support customers. Tech companies such as Amazon know this and incorporate it into hiring practices, such as the Bar Raiser Program, to ensure the talent of the company improves to keep pace with a rapidly changing business and technology landscape. The bar is never static which means individual improvement and self-development must align with business and technology advances.

In the same way you don't need to be an English major to know how to communicate effectively, you don't need to be a computer scientist to leverage technology in the workplace

In the "Consulting Bible" by Alan Weiss, he discusses the importance of a consultant to improve the client's condition. He summarizes how consultants can achieve this through a Value Creation chart, with the Application of Process Skills on the X axis and the Application of Subject Matter Expertise on the Y axis. Individuals that only focus on their subject matter expertise become either short term contractors or expert witnesses while individuals who only have process improvement and soft skills become facilitators and non-technical support staff. The unfortunate reality is that in the new age of automation and AI, these extremes are commoditized and will be the first areas evaluated during economic downturns when companies need to become leaner. To increase your value in the workplace, you must adapt and build a balance of both field expertise combined with process improvement, critical thinking, and soft skills. Regardless of whether you're an entrepreneur or an employee providing goods and services, improving the customer's condition will always be valued in any business. Consistently leveraging these skills to deliver value to customers over time helps build trust and reach the peak value point in the chart below.

Regardless of whether you're an entrepreneur or an employee providing goods and services, improving the customer's condition will always be valued in any business.

If developing both process skills and field expertise while building customer trust sounds difficult, that's because it is. It is the same reason society and companies place value in other fields such as sports and physical fitness because people know there was a price paid through hard work to build that value. The same discipline it takes to eat the right foods and exercise to take care of your physical health is the same discipline that will help you develop the skills necessary to provide value in an increasingly automated world. The future will not be a world separated by "Haves and Have Nots", but rather by those who acknowledge the need to adapt to changing business environments and have the discipline necessary to develop themselves and thrive. Rather than being overwhelmed by the changes and technological advances around us, we should be hopeful for what is to come and think of creative ways to incorporate them into our lives. The great news is that each and every one of us have the potential to capitalize on this opportunity as long as we have the discipline to continuously improve and provide value.