Will I have a job with AI?

Q: My company keeps talking about AI.  Over the past few years, it has come up at company meetings, video calls, and even everyday conversations.  I feel threatened by these conversations because I feel like these conversations morph into discussions about reductions in our staff, or rightsizing.  The discussions started about two years ago, and nothing has hit our staffing levels.  Should I be nervous?  Will AI take over my job?

A: Your question is a common one in 2024.  In short, will AI replace me?  We all yearn for stability in our employment.  We all have bills, whether it is car insurance or two little mouths to feed and clothe.  However, could a computer or AI replace workers?

Experts expect the AI will impact on US jobs.  AI is a fancy term for a process where there is data available and AI “spit outs” this information in a more meaningful way.   AI can take data and save time and money.  Some estimate that millions of jobs will be lost, but even more will be gained. 

According to Bernard Marr, a Forbes columnist, and other AI experts, there are two ways that AI can impact our workforce.  The first one is less frightening.  AI can augment our workforce. 

One way AI can augment our workforce is when it can be used to analyze patient data. AI can take available data, and the output is helpful to researchers.  Once patient data is “scrubbed” to remove any confidential information, this data can be helpful to researchers. For example, if a researcher is trying to determine the effectiveness of a treatment for dementia, they may able to analyze that data in a way which will help millions who are suffering dementia.  AI can help summarize patient data which may have been a more cumbersome and time-consuming task for a human. Thus, more data can be analyzed more quickly and hopefully improve the lives of more patients, at a more rapid pace. If this is a quicker process, a researcher may then be able to assess what treatment options are most effective. Then a researcher may also be able to analyze if genes play a role in an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  This is a benefit of AI. Researchers are able to handle more tasks and help many more patients.   No jobs are lost, but more analysis can be completed.   

The second way that many experts think that AI may also impact on our workforces is that AI could automate activities. By this I mean the AI could automate certain activities like assembling a car, or more routine and repetitive tasks. Basic customer service roles could be automated. We are already facing press 1 for this and press 2 for that when we call a 1-800 number.  This type of automation has been happening for years. Automation may be able to replace jobs, but a human will still be required to handle more complex tasks. As an example, when a customer wants to open a bank account with funds from Spain will probably require a live human.

AI will impact our workforce. Employees who are willing to learn about AI and think about how AI would complement their current department, or function, will highly likely be an asset.   Resisting AI is likely a problematic response.  We all need to be more flexible and more open to AI and how it could influence what we do and how we do it. Marr also suggests that “soft skills” will be more important than ever. What AI misses now is the tone, the style, the voice of an experience.         

Think about ways that AI could improve efficiencies in your workplace.  Could it provide more time to analyze client accounts in new and different ways?  Could it reduce the number of errors when looking at calls to a customer service center?  Learn about AI, don’t run from it.