Should we worry about A.I.?

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I’m not a computer expert, but I’ve been playing around with random bits of A.I., (you probably have as well) - and as everyone says, it’s amazing.

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I made THIS podcast with one click using https://notebooklm.google.com ?- the podcast is here: https://lnkd.in/epRQTRvt

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I made this song with one click using Suno.com ?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGEy3vdYy88

And these as well....

https://youtu.be/06SP-YGezkg

and

https://youtu.be/oqSJkz0_ABk

and

https://youtu.be/8CF4vCgPNrQ

Suno is a really good example of what AI will bring – it clearly won’t replace Bob Dylan but it could easily replace 90% of the pap that’s in the charts.? A.I. is often bland, but much of life is too - if you just want a routine job done then it’s great.

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I’ve made a whole course (with Dave Birss) about how A.I. can do most of your project planning for you – it will list the tasks required, estimate them, plan for the risks, and even trawl through previous projects to pick out any useful learning points for your particular new project.

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A friend of mine, Keith Thomson, made this Chris-Bot by feeding in a load of my books, and it really does work well, the answers are amazingly good.

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I asked it to write a 500 word blog post about procrastination, mentioning battleships, walking the dog, and barbed wire, and it did (“changing your habits is like turning a battleship; take time off to think while you do something like walking a dog; and put a barbed wire fence around some key chunks of time each day”)

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I made this picture of a Bad Boss with it only yesterday.

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And of course we already know you can ask Chat GPT anything – what to take on holiday, how to write a diplomatic email firing someone, precis a book, transcribe an audio program or podcast into words/script, put a talking face / avatar onto any written script, duplicate a voice so you just type in what you want it to say, role play a negotiation or a job interview for you, scan a load of CVs and select the best one, design interview questions for a job role and give you the ideal answers to look for - and to write a poem for your partner’s birthday (yes, I did that).? Even to roast your watch collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OUlGA_Hjf4

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I booked a table at a restaurant last week and only realised at the end of the conversation that I’d been talking to a bot – who asked me about arrival time, number of people, allergies, any other requirements etc.? The bot was super efficient – answered straight away without “we are experiencing a high level of calls for our understaffed call centre” or “no reply, because we are doing other things”. I was happy to deal with the bot, to be honest.

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I’ve just been looking at some sales software that can make 14,000 sales call at the same time, without any fear or procrastination, no dip in performance at the end of the day or the week, - it just quietly (and very cheaply) books in warm appointments for your sales people to call.

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Chat GPT even writes code – it can make a whole website for you automatically.

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Anyway, there’s no doubt it’s amazing, and getting better FAST.? But what does the future hold?

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WILL happen

-????????????? Large proportion of routine white collar jobs will go.

-????????????? More jobs than you expect will be affected – almost none won‘t be affected at all.

-????????????? People who avoid learning about A.I. will be replaced by the ones who embrace it

-????????????? Companies to use A.I. effectively will squeeze out the ones who don’t

-????????????? There will be a short term boom in teaching people and companies how to use it.

-????????????? A.I. will be in everything you do without you even noticing – hopefully leading to increased customer service, faster service, and better systems.

-????????????? When it doesn’t work right, and there is no human option, it’s going to be very annoying.

-????????????? The rich get richer – standard of living increases from A.I. will result in higher profits from those who run companies and mostly won’t be shared amongst the consumers of services that use A.I.

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COULD happen - but I don’t think it will

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-????????????? Becomes sentient and takes over, eradicating people because they are cause of pretty much all of the problems in the world.

-????????????? ALL creative jobs replaced by A.I.

-????????????? We all live a life of leisure because A.I. does everything for us.

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I asked Chat GPT (I know, quite meta and ironic) which jobs would be affected or even replaced by A.I. and it gave me this long and scary list:

ARE YOU ONE OF THESE??

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"Please can you make a list of all of the jobs that will be massively affected by AI, or completely replaced by AI."??? ?

ChatGPT said:

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Many jobs, particularly those that involve routine, repetitive tasks or data processing, are highly susceptible to automation by AI and related technologies. Below is a list of jobs that are likely to be massively affected or completely replaced by AI in the coming years:

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1.?Manufacturing and Assembly Jobs

• Factory Workers:?Automated robots can already perform many repetitive tasks such as assembling products, welding, or packaging goods, making human labor less necessary.
• Textile Workers:?AI-driven machinery can handle fabric cutting, stitching, and quality control at a faster rate and with more precision than humans.

2.?Transportation and Logistics

• Truck Drivers:?Self-driving vehicles are advancing rapidly, and autonomous trucks could reduce the need for human drivers in freight transportation.
• Delivery Drivers:?AI-powered drones and robots are being developed to make deliveries, especially in urban areas, which could reduce the need for delivery drivers.
• Taxi and Ride-hailing Drivers:?Autonomous taxis (self-driving cars) are likely to replace the need for human drivers in services like Uber and Lyft in the future.

3.?Retail and Customer Service

• Cashiers:?AI-powered self-checkout systems and fully automated stores (e.g., Amazon Go) are making the role of cashiers increasingly redundant.
• Customer Service Representatives:?AI chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming more sophisticated, handling customer inquiries, complaints, and other service-related tasks without human intervention.
• Telemarketers:?AI systems can perform telemarketing calls and customer outreach far more efficiently than humans, using data analytics to target specific customer profiles.

4.?Data Processing and Clerical Work

• Data Entry Clerks:?Automated systems and AI-powered software can easily handle data input, processing, and validation tasks, making human data entry jobs obsolete.
• Bookkeepers and Accountants:?Automated accounting software, like QuickBooks or Xero, and AI systems for tax preparation and financial management are reducing the need for human accountants and bookkeepers for basic tasks.
• Payroll Administrators:?Payroll software can automatically calculate, distribute, and manage payments with little to no human input.

5.?Banking and Financial Services

• Loan Officers:?AI algorithms are increasingly being used to assess creditworthiness and approve loans, reducing the need for human loan officers.
• Bank Tellers:?ATMs and online banking have already reduced the need for tellers, and AI-powered customer service systems may further minimize human involvement in routine banking tasks.
• Stock Traders:?Algorithmic trading systems, powered by AI, can execute trades much faster and more efficiently than human traders, with many trading desks becoming fully automated.

6.?Legal Services

• Paralegals and Legal Assistants:?AI systems can sift through large volumes of legal documents, analyze case law, and generate reports, reducing the demand for human paralegals and legal assistants.
• Contract Reviewers:?AI-powered tools like LegalZoom and other contract analysis platforms can draft and review contracts much more quickly and accurately than humans.

7.?Media and Marketing

• Content Writers (Basic Writing):?AI systems like GPT (the technology behind ChatGPT) can generate simple articles, marketing copy, or product descriptions, reducing the need for human writers for basic tasks.
• Advertising and Media Buying:?AI systems can analyze data, predict trends, and place ads more effectively than humans, optimizing ad campaigns in real-time.
• Journalists (News Reporting):?AI can quickly generate data-driven news stories (like stock reports, weather updates, and sports scores), reducing the need for human reporters for these types of articles.

8.?Administrative and Office Support

• Receptionists:?AI-powered virtual assistants and automated answering systems can handle basic receptionist tasks, such as answering calls, scheduling, and providing information.
• Secretaries:?Scheduling, email management, and other secretarial tasks can be done by AI systems, reducing the need for human assistants in many organizations.

9.?Healthcare (Administrative and Diagnostic Roles)

• Medical Coders:?AI systems can automatically assign medical codes for insurance billing, reducing the need for human medical coders.
• Radiologists:?AI is increasingly being used to analyze medical images (e.g., X-rays, MRIs) to detect anomalies, potentially replacing the need for human radiologists in certain tasks.
• Pharmacists (Dispensing Roles):?Automated pharmacy robots and AI-driven medication management systems could reduce the need for human pharmacists in dispensing medications.

10.?Agriculture

• Farm Workers:?AI-powered robots and drones are capable of planting, watering, and harvesting crops more efficiently than human laborers, particularly in large-scale farming operations.
• Animal Farm Workers:?Robotic milking machines and AI systems for monitoring livestock health are becoming more common, reducing the need for manual labor in animal farming.

11.?Warehouse and Inventory Management

• Warehouse Workers:?Automated systems and robots (like those used by Amazon) can pick, pack, and ship products with minimal human intervention.
• Inventory Managers:?AI-powered inventory management software can track stock levels, predict demand, and manage reordering without the need for human oversight.

12.?Call Centers

• Call Center Operators:?AI-driven virtual assistants and voice recognition systems are becoming increasingly capable of handling customer calls, queries, and support issues, drastically reducing the need for human call center agents.

13.?Financial Analysts

• Entry-Level Financial Analysts:?AI can analyze large sets of financial data, create forecasts, and provide insights more efficiently than human analysts, especially for routine tasks.

14.?Quality Control and Inspection

• Quality Control Inspectors:?AI-powered vision systems can inspect products for defects, ensuring consistency and quality at a much faster rate than human inspectors in manufacturing.

15.?Travel Agents

• Travel Planners and Agents:?AI-powered travel platforms and chatbots can plan trips, book flights, and manage reservations, making the role of travel agents increasingly obsolete.

16.?Human Resources

• Recruitment and Talent Sourcing:?AI systems are being used to scan resumes, match candidates with jobs, and even conduct initial screening interviews, reducing the need for human recruiters in many cases.
• Performance Reviews and Employee Management:?AI tools are increasingly used to analyze employee performance and recommend HR decisions, reducing the need for human managers to perform these tasks manually.

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CC Note 1: For many of the above: you might still need one person to run the 20 A.I. bots, so it might only be 19 instead of all 20 jobs GONE – but that’s as good as wiped out.

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CC Note 2: Notice that many of the above are manual jobs – often considered safe by many of us.? Automation plus A.I. is going to be very powerful.

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I then asked it which jobs WON’T be affected or replaced, and it gave me this.? Though I think even some of these are going to be victims, for example music and art – as described above with Suno, I don’t need musicians or mics or studios or mixing engineers to get a pretty good tune for an ad or background of video, or elevator, which is what most music is used for.

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"Please can you make a list of jobs that will not be affected by AI at all?"

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ChatGPT said:

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It's challenging to say that any job will be entirely unaffected by AI as technology advances, but some roles are less likely to be fully replaced or significantly affected by AI in the near future. These tend to be jobs that rely heavily on human interaction, creativity, emotional intelligence, or specific physical skills. Here's a list of job categories that are less likely to be impacted by AI:

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1.?Creative Professions

• Artists and Designers:?Creativity, originality, and emotional expression are hard for AI to replicate fully. (note from CC – yes but using it as a tool will make designers much more efficient so we won’t need as many of them – and for most design jobs A.I. will be good enough.? Look how boring most new houses are!? And things like this are only the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_luQFhp3njk )
• Writers and Poets:?While AI can generate text, human creativity, storytelling, and the ability to connect deeply with people will still be valued. (Note from CC – A.I. can already write better books and film scripts than much of the stuff that is currently out there.? In fact, maybe is already IS writing the next superhero film script and the next romance novel??)
• Musicians and Composers:?Emotionally resonant and unique musical compositions and live performances require human touch. (CC says: see Suno discussion above.? If you’re a musician you are NOT safe!)

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2.?Healthcare Professionals

• Doctors (Surgeons, General Practitioners, etc.):?While AI can assist in diagnosis, human empathy, hands-on skills, and complex decision-making are essential. (note from CC – do we get much empathy at the moment?? The doctors I see are so overloaded they are pretty much just diagnosis or surgery machines already!)
• Nurses and Caregivers:?The empathetic care and personal interaction with patients cannot be replaced by AI. (note from CC: or can it?? A.I. virtual companions have infinite patience, perfect memories, loads of time, and can be programmed to be great listeners, good conversationalists, and in some cases, great carers)
• Psychologists and Therapists:?Mental health care requires emotional intelligence and human connection.

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3.?Education and Training

• Teachers and Educators:?AI can assist with educational tools, but the guidance, mentorship, and personal connection of teachers are irreplaceable.
• Special Education Instructors:?Tailoring education to meet the emotional and intellectual needs of individuals requires deep human understanding.

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4.?Trades and Skilled Manual Labor

• Electricians and Plumbers:?Skilled manual labor, problem-solving in real-time, and the need for on-site human presence are difficult for AI to handle.
• Carpenters and Construction Workers:?Hands-on construction work requires adaptability to varied environments, a human skillset that’s hard for machines to replicate.
• Mechanics:?Complex mechanical troubleshooting and repair require human intuition and adaptability.

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5.?Social and Human Services

• Social Workers:?AI lacks the empathy and nuanced understanding necessary for assisting people in vulnerable situations.
• Community Organizers:?Building human connections and fostering social change require people-focused skills.
• Religious Leaders (Priests, Imams, Rabbis, etc.):?Spiritual guidance and community leadership are deeply personal and rooted in human experience.

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6.?Legal Professions

• Judges:?The application of laws in nuanced human situations requires interpretation, discretion, and empathy.
• Trial Lawyers:?Persuasion, emotional appeal, and complex case-building are inherently human tasks.

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7.?Performing Arts

• Actors and Performers:?The emotional resonance, live performance skills, and unique individuality of performers are hard to replace.
• Dancers:?Physical expression and the art of movement are distinctly human, especially in live performance settings.

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8.?Leadership and Executive Roles

• CEOs and Business Leaders:?Strategic thinking, vision, and leadership require emotional intelligence, intuition, and decision-making skills that extend beyond data analysis.
• Politicians:?Public service roles that require negotiation, empathy, and leadership will continue to demand human engagement.

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9.?Emergency Services

• Firefighters:?Hands-on emergency response requires physical skills and decision-making in unpredictable environments.
• Police Officers:?Maintaining law and order involves complex judgment, human discretion, and real-time decision-making in social contexts.

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10.?Hospitality and Service Industries

• Chefs:?Culinary creativity, food preparation, and presentation, especially in high-end and artisanal contexts, will retain a strong human element. (CC says that all routine cooking, e.g. Macdonalds, will be done by robots before long)
• Concierge and Hospitality Managers:?Human interaction, personal recommendations, and ensuring the well-being of guests in real-time are unlikely to be fully replaced by AI. (CC says have you been to a Premier Inn lately?? Self service check-in, and it works really well.? In fact better than queueing up for someone who is on minimum wage and exhausted to check you in.? Even airport check-ins are starting to be automated – thank goodness!)

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Though AI will transform many jobs, these categories involve human intuition, empathy, creativity, or physical skills that will be challenging to replace completely. However, it's important to note that while these jobs may not be replaced, they will likely be augmented or assisted by AI in some form.

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Conclusion – ride the beast! Either work in the A.I. field, or embrace it in your own area as quickly as you can,

and/or make sure that you are in the top 10% of creativity and quality in whatever you do.?

If you are churning out routine crap, and you don’t really care, or you have knowledge and skill but you don’t really have to think much any more, you WILL be replaced by A.I.

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