On ChatGPT and Generative AI – Is Your Job Safe?

In November 2021, I wrote an article on artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing potential. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the launch of ChatGPT only a year later in November 2022, and alongside it an entire wave of generative AI. 

What is it? 

AI refers to any technology that can reason, learn, plan, and make decisions, which are typically tasks that require human intelligence. However, with AI, something else can perform these tasks. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as images, text, or music, on its own. It learns from and analyses patterns within a large collection of existing data (like pictures, articles, or songs) and then uses that knowledge to come up with something original. 

Generative AI can create artwork, write research papers and even compose music, by using patterns and ideas it has learned from the data it was trained on. It’s a landmark technology that blends creativity and computing. ChatGPT, a tool developed by AI research lab OpenAI (now owned by Microsoft), is a form of generative AI that can process, and communicate in, natural human language. 

To best contextualise ChatGPT is, let’s take a look at its information source predecessors: Google, and libraries. In a library, you would need to physically browse through catalog systems, shelves, or consult with a librarian to locate relevant books or articles on a subject (in limited collection of sources), read through that material and then analyse and document it. With Google, you could simply type your query into the search bar, and the search engine would return a list of relevant web pages, articles, or resources. 

ChatGPT, however, enables users to engage in a more conversational manner; you can pose a question about “The history of African colonialism”, and ChatGPT will provide a coherent and contextually accurate response, including key dates, key figures, and other factual historical context. In essence, while libraries and Google provide a means to access information, ChatGPT adds an interactive and personalized dimension to information-seeking and human-computer interaction. 

How will it impact jobs? 

The impact of technological advancements on jobs is not a new phenomenon; throughout history, innovations have disrupted job markets, leading to the creation of new industries and the transformation of existing ones. Think of how the Industrial Revolution generated employment opportunities in construction, transportation, and related sectors, and how AI has already created new jobs such as AI ethicists and machine learning engineers. 

For many of us though, it is our first time living through a revolution, and this latest one is of no small magnitude. The AI shift stands out due to its unprecedented sophistication and increasingly rapid pace of development, which surpasses previous disruptions like the Internet Age or the emergence of personal computers. This increased complexity, coupled with the vast potential applications of AI, will make the next few years a uniquely challenging and transformative experience for many of us navigating the job market. 

AI has already begun to replace repetitive and analytical jobs such as data entry and analysis, and customer care through AI-powered chatbots, but while many people worry that AI will quickly come for most jobs, this may not happen as fast as we think. For one, it’s not easy for businesses to start using AI everywhere—there’s a lot of work and time needed to make it fit in. The lack of emotional intelligence of AI compared to humans also means that occupations demanding empathy, creativity, and social abilities are unlikely to be fully replaced by AI. 

Rather, AI may end up mostly  helping most people perform their jobs instead of replacing them completely. Lastly, regulations may slow down how fast AI spreads, causing some industries to adopt AI less quickly than others – an example is the Artificial Intelligence Act currently being drafted by the E.U.. All of this means that the job market will likely change gradually instead of all at once. 

How can I stay relevant? 

Google, Meta/Facebook and Microsoft are all in a competitive race to develop the most advanced and democratised artificial intelligence AI search engine to ever exist, in a competitive run being nicknamed “The AI War”.  AI researchers and futurists are already predicting the rise of  what has been termed Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – a type of artificial intelligence that will adapt across various domains to autonomously perform a broad range of tasks such as medical diagnosis and treatment. 

In the coming decades, the rapidly evolving landscape of work will require all of us across various industries to adopt a growth mindset and embrace the continuous process of upskilling and re-skilling to stay competitive and relevant. 

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence and automation within the workforce will play a significant role in defining the future of careers, making it unavoidable for everyone who wishes to retain a career to know how to collaborate with AI systems. By learning to work with and alongside these advanced technologies, we can fundamentally enhance our human capabilities. This will be critical in shaping the success and longevity of careers in what is becoming a dynamic, technology-driven era. 

When all is said and done, the future of AI and its impact on jobs remains a highly speculative topic, and any current conclusions are largely subjective (though well-informed) assumptions based on historical trends, current knowledge and extrapolation. 

The precise trajectory of AI development and its impact it on the job market remains largely uncertain, but we can certainly all prime ourselves for it by beginning to make use of AI in every day work and personal life. 

*Thomas Paavo Hamata is a technology governance, risk and compliance expert. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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