AI has raised enough debate on job security. I have seen this within my field, where people get into a tizzy over the notion of machines completely taking over.
But it is not quite that simple.
Some jobs aren't going anywhere, and honestly, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest. You are going to need a human touch for hands-on work: nursing, driving, or even taking care of a child. You can't program things like empathy.
And that's not something we should overlook.
However, I still think many jobs will change dramatically.
Tasks that took hours can now almost be delivered in an instance. For example, research used to take a long time; now AI does much of that work in a fraction of the time. But it doesn't put me out of a job; it frees me up to actually work on the parts of a job which count much more: the creative side, the human connections. I know other fields must be feeling this same shift.
But as for those who neglect it-well, that's quite risky.
The other thing I want to point out is that freelancers and consultants will have to pull up their socks.
I can see this happening: once AI engines can spit out data faster and cheaper, hiring someone just for reports is pointless. Consultants have to add value, rather than just repeat what we can already tell ourselves. AI may support the analysis, but not the profound understanding or strategic insight from people Yet.
I think, it is about time we evolve and not resist.