December 6, 2023, by jhillary1
Is my future career safe from AI?
By Joss Hillary, Information Officer
*opens Chat-GPT*
*Writes prompt: ‘Is artificial intelligence going to make my future career redundant?’*
*Resists the urge to hit copy and paste*
Before you ask, yes I did want to see what Chat-GPT had to say on the topic and no I didn’t just hit copy and paste but the idea of consulting AI on a topic may be more important than you think.
In recent years, even before the mass adoption of programmes like Chat-GPT, there have been discussions about AI and the impact it may have on the job market. Now that reality is being realised these once abstract concepts are coming into focus as the world gets to grips with a future involving artificial intelligence. To pull together information we can trust on the subject we’ve spent time looking through a variety of sources, from government and company reports to talks and articles from experts in the field in the hope that we can shed some light on what the future job market might look like.
What are the industry experts saying?
In an interview with the CEO (is he still CEO? I think so…) of Open-AI, Sam Altman stated his view of the impact of AI on jobs has changed in recent years. Someone who saw AI as a threat to blue collar jobs 10 years ago, Altman now sees AI as a way to improve efficiency, and enhance the experience of the workers, not as a method of replacing the workforce.[1] But the founder of an AI company would say that wouldn’t he? So, let us look at some other sources.
What is the World Economic Forum saying?
According to the WEF’s 2023 Future of Jobs report, 75% of companies globally are intending to incorporate AI into their operations. Encouragingly, 50% of these companies predict AI adoption will lead to an increase in hiring, while 25% expect it to result in job losses. [2]
What about the UK government?
Examining the impact on the workforce, the UK government predicts a 9% net gain in jobs for degree holders over the next two decades. However, the negative consequences of AI adoption are anticipated to be more pronounced for individuals in low-skill roles.
In terms of job creation, the automotive and aerospace sector emerges as a frontrunner, with a predicted 59% net increase in jobs. In contrast, the professional services sector foresees a 7% decrease in jobs, and the media industry, despite enthusiastic AI adoption, predicts a 5% reduction in employment. [3]
As with any world-changing technology that threatens to upend life as we know it, it is worth remembering we have been through this before. The invention of the internal combustion engine may have put carriage drivers out of a job but it also drove productivity and job creation in countless industries, the introduction of the computer likely replaced typists and mathematicians but led to the creation of entire industries that now dominate our daily lives and the development of the internet probably put the door to door encyclopedia salesperson out of a job but has generated millions more jobs as a result.
AI may well result in some jobs losses but for those willing to learn and leverage the technology to enhance their skillset, will appeal to more employers than those who don’t.
Discover careers in AI on our AI career paths page
References:
[2] World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs Report
[3] UK Government – Impact of AI on UK Jobs and Training
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