Artificial intelligence is getting a lot of attention right now. The world is aware how fast things are moving. While there is still great uncertainty regarding how things will unfold, a lot more people seem to be concentrating on potential problems.
Because of this, people are better isolating where they believe disruption will occur. This is a positive step although does contain a degree of being a fruitless endeavor. One thing that history shows is the impact from technology is often in ways we do not anticipate. That said, it is still beneficial to consider what is taking place.
At the moment, one of the larger debates is about jobs. What industries will be affected? This is one thing that we will discuss in this article.
Another factor that I think is important is to look at the potential impact of Web 3.0 in all this. We are dealing with technology which means it could be a component of things going forward.
The analysis starts by looking at some of the potential sectors that could see massive job disruption. Do something like blockchain factor into what is taking place?
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AI Disruption Is A Web 3.0 Opportunity
We can start by looking at a list of AI jobs that are likely to be disrupted by AI. This is non-scientific consensus that I put together after reading a number of articles and viewing some videos.
They are as follows:
- driver jobs
- finance
- creative jobs
- tech
- sales/marketing
- manufacturing
- law
- media
- customer service
There might be more to add to the list. We also do not know the timeline when these will be affected. Some, such as technology and marketing, are seeing some losses. Is that due to a shift in how things are being done or simply a downturn? We will have to wait to see on that.
The point being is we are seeing AI penetrate these different industries. We cannot deny there is an impact already being seen, one that will likely grow.
What we are witnessing is no different than Kodak, Blockbuster Video, and Toy R Us. Technological advancements are making their business models obsolete.
Where we can perceive a difference is the wide net that is being cast. We are not looking at a few sectors like in the past. At present, we are dealing with entire industries.
One loss Is Another's Gain
The world is not a zero sum game.
However, we do transformation across different areas which, while on an upward trajectory, can cause a great deal of chaos. Technology tends to do this.
What is going to be the fallout from all of this?
It is the trillion dollar question many are wrestling with. Since we aren't going to get concrete answers, it is best to simply look at how Web 3.0 might factor in.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency offer many opportunities. We can see constructing a new system could factor into this transition.
One of the keys is we are dealing with an information economy. Thus, most of what will be highly successful going forward is dependent upon having and processing information. This is true regardless of the industry.
Computers are ideal for this. It is why AI is going to make such an impact. On that list, right off the bat we see customer service, media, law, sales, tech, finance, and creative jobs as really being nothing more than being tied to information.
Thus, we not only have disruption but also the ability for other technological solutions to enter the market. Web 3.0 could leverage this. For example, we long discussed how media is changing. Much of this comes from Web 2.0 pushes in different directions. That is really more of the same. A different dictator is still a dictator.
Many of the same tools available to Web 2.0 organizations can be used by those looking to utilize decentralized systems. Using the same media, if we indeed get to a point where the news is written by AI and delivered by some avatar, then we can see how the advantages the present outlets might have is quickly eliminated.
Digital Platforms
One thing we learned from Web 2.0 over the last 10-15 years is the value of a digital platform. This is the bridge between the physical and digital worlds.
The advantage here is the digital realm moves much faster and without limitation.
If we look at Uber and Airbnb, we see how the physical, traditionally cabs and hotel rooms, were transformed into a digital platform. Naturally, the physical component still exists but we see a completely different business model.
Going back to the list, consider something such as manufacturing and driving jobs. How are those going to change with the advent of "robots"? Once the physical is automated, we are then only dealing with the digital.
Isn't this what Web 3.0 is all about?
Actually, at this point, Web 2.0 and 3.0 are not much different. The robotaxi network of Tesla or the management of a 1,000 manufacturing robot facility is the same. We see the difference in ownership, control, and financial benefit.
Here is where the major wave of automation is actually helping Web 3.0. Blockchain becomes more important simply be default. It cannot help but to grow in value as the world digitizes more. Certainly one could make the case it will lag the growth of Web 2.0. That is fair.
Nevertheless, there is a section of the technology community who is well aware of the threats having centralized, closed models presents. This not only applies to the tech itself but also the business structures.
The focus of Web 3.0 is going to be on building digital platforms. Those that incorporate the approaches related to this, ones used effectively in the Web 2.0 world, will find success. The world is not going to get less digital over the next decade. In fact, we see a larger need the more powerful technology becomes.
Blockchain - The Feeder System
The basic structure of the Internet is the client-server architecture. With Web 2.0, the front end and all data is under the same entity.
Web 3.0 utilizes, to a degree, blockchain as its database. Naturally, there is other data that platforms store on traditional servers, that is not open to the public. That said, we can see how blockchain is the basic feeder system for much of what applications do.
It will vary based upon the design. Some will use blockchain as the authentication system only. Others will pull data to generate the databases they need. A few will integrate their entire business models into it.
The transition comes from more that is utilized being tied to blockchain and its distributed nature. Of course, this will take on many forms as things evolve. Incomes will be earned based upon what is created, just like many careers are not tied to the Internet.
Tokenization is still in its infancy. The rapid growth in innovation will lead to some remarkable breakthroughs. What is likely to happen is the first one will be followed by a number immediately after. That is how it seems to work. The first appears and then a dozen more follow around the same time.
Putting blockchain at the core along with tokenization can align with the disruption of many industries. Robotics is something we will discuss in the future and how those being tied to blockchain might be an avenue to pursue.
For now, we will close with the idea that Web 3.0 can benefit from the disruption due to AI. Anytime there is upheaval, something else can step in and be what becomes the "norm".