It’s interesting that despite the many differences of opinion regarding AI, few people acknowledge the fact that potentially it will turn society on its head, and we are not ready for it.
I’m not talking about AGI and the dystopian future predicted by many, although I admit that is a possibility. I’m talking about the inevitable shift in jobs and society caused by the use of AI and AI Agents.
For many decades much of the traditional manual work has been taken over by machinery and automation, think car plants and their robot assembly lines. We were told that the way to get on in life and achieve long term job security was to become a knowledge worker.
Knowledge workers don’t need overalls and hard hats, we need a computer keyboard and a mouse.
Some of these roles include:
- Personal Assistant
- Graphic Designer
- Architect
- Computer Programmer
- Accountant
- Marketing Person
- Data Entry Clerk
- Travel Agent
- Customer Services Person
- Call Centre Operative
AI is waiting in the wings to replace many of those jobs. Not totally, at least not initially, but in the near future the need for humans in those roles will be vastly decreased. A Customer Services Manager may find themselves in charge of 20 AI agents, rather than 8 humans.
Look at the current capability of human type robots. If you are an Electrician, a Gardener, a Plumber or a Builder then you will be safe for many years as robotics companies are finding it extremely difficult to create a robot that has the capability and dexterity to perform those roles.
The tide has turned. Knowledge workers are the those ones that now have their jobs threatened by technology and the skilled manual workers are sitting pretty, for a while at least.
For those not convinced, remember that AI doesn’t need to be able to replace you, it just needs to convince your boss that it can …
