In the Beginning...
OpenAI released ChatGPT in November of 2022. This arguably marked the beginning of mainstream adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our world as we know it.
It is now well over a year since this event happened, and there are lots of persons whose response to date is to panic into a BSOD with the error message "AI is taking our jobs".
The Thieves Parallel
Interestingly, this behavioral response resonated with my childhood. Some years back growing up, I lived with my parents in a middle-class enclave in Nigeria. It was commonplace for armed thieves to come to "operate" in our area or surrounding communities. However, some daredevil-level thieves communicate their visitation ahead of time. They would write ahead of time that they were coming to a particular area to operate. Yes, you read that right. They will write in plain black-and-white that they were coming to some named place for "operation", and sneakily paste the notice on paper on a community gate or some other conspicuous place. I have a theory for such a bold move, but I digress.
However, it was interesting how our local chiefs handled such messages back then. Usually, when they receive such message, they rally the men in the area, arm them, and establish a schedule of local vigilante operations. Temporary vigilante groups comprising heads of local families will then take turns to keep watch at nights for agreed periods of time. I was old enough to recall how my mom stayed awake at nights my dad's group watch the night.
The Weak Response
We can draw similarities between "AI is taking our jobs" and the thieves that announced to come operate at our area in the experience I shared above. If you are ever afraid of AI taking your job, then AI does indeed deserve to take your job. In my opinion, there is an abysmal level of "skill issue" and resistance to change that will make an individual think that an automated system could render them redundant. This will remain true for as long as we are yet to record some significant level of sentience in AI tech. And that honestly doesn't sound like a panic-worthy problem.
In the experiences I explained previously, such response is similar to one in which our local chiefs back then folded their hands instead, and the local community joining them in accepting fate and resigning to some unavoidable doom.
A Stronger Response
It is much better to give a stronger response to this fear. Why not Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish (EEE) your fear of AI? Embrace the fact that AI is here to stay. Leverage it to "extend" yourself, i.e. be able to do what you previously were unable to do before your knowledge of AI. Then extinguish the fear completely.
You need to find your own EEE strategy. For some, it may be upskilling. For others, it may be to intelligently apply the knowledge of AI to one's routines and workflows. Just do anything better than gloating over AI.
Finally
AI is actually powered by some code written by guess who? Correct! Humans like you! Look at the bigger picture of what you can do to, and with AI. Think of the million and one ways AI can make you more efficient and much better. If AI takes your job, you gave it away.
PS: Don't forget to share it with your peeps. Also, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Top comments (2)
Very true talk sir, personaly for me AI has enabled me delived projects on time and I believe it's to our own good if we can work with it
Kill the fear, accept the fact and up skill 💪