I will always remember May 19, 2020 as the day that I first felt threatened by the now worrisome AI wave. Back then I was working as a freelance transcriber for an online outsourcing company, and I've been with them for about 8 months. While transcribing a particular voice call, I felt cold shivers run down my spine. A month later, my fear was confirmed in emphatic fashion.
The call I transcribed that day was of a lending company who were about to repossess the vehicle of their client because the client already missed a couple of loan repayments. The company was trying to find a reasonable solution to the issue so they called to discuss affordable ways by which the client could meet up with her loan. During the discussion, they asked about the client's income and that was when the customer dropped a line that still scares me till today - she was a transcriber with 15 years experience but recently lost her job to AI.
At first, it sounded ordinary to me; I was just a transcriber doing my job. But then, the reality of the whole discussion hit me - if a transcriber with 15 years worth of experience can lose her job to AI, I definitely stand no chance. Right? A month later, the AI wave eventually got to me in brutal fashion. The pay rate per transcribed minute was slashed by about 50% or more, jobs became scanty and the available ones were incredibly hard to transcribe. Without mincing words, AI already took over our jobs and the company doesn't really need human transcribers anymore. Slashing the pay was their own way of honourably saying, "Guys, bye-bye."
Since then I've been very wary of the threat AI posed, and the latest success AI stuffs like ChatGPT and co are enjoying proved my fears were not unfounded. As a full time freelancer, it's very hard to probably find an online skill that AI doesn't pose a threat to in the long run. As we all know, AI now writes compelling articles better than some human generated ones. I'm not into software development or coding, but I'm very sure AI can do a decent job of ruining that niche too. What else? I'm a trained Virtual Assistant and even at that, I believe AI will start rivalling humans for gigs in that niche too - that's if they're not already doing that.
Despite the raging effect of AI on the labour market, its impact is more felt either by folks of the online community or developed countries. In the developing countries, the effect of AI on the labour market is still somewhat muted because most small and medium businesses still rely on manual labour. I'm an environmental scientist and I can tell you the last time I was at a laboratory - which was very recent - AI simply rarely exists or interfere in the research and scientific phase of things here.
So, for me, if AI decides to take over all the freelance gigs I depend on, I don't see it taking over research works in this space, at least for now. That's one skill I can always leverage on. Asides that, there are other hands-on skills that I really do not need to discuss here that I can leverage on too. Just like I said earlier, a lot of things are pretty manual here. I will start getting scared shitless whenever AI starts fabricating and installing aluminium products. That's one skill tucked in the bag in case every other one heads down the drain. In fact, I learnt a hard lesson when AI took my job and rendered me jobless for two months. It will never happen again.
The wave is getting to the online community and more especially to jobs that requires little professionalism such as content writing but the good thing is that even though AI is coming for most of the jobs,tgere is a loophole for professionals whose jobs cannot be solely replaced by AI.
This can be found in almost all the field of study and sooner than later, we will see AI as a tool for enhancing the nature work for human being rather than competitor.
I these it's going to get worse before getting better. People are going to have to relearn and get knowledge about how to utilize AI else they get swept away.
I agree with that but it might not get worse more than this.
The reason being that rather competing with humans, AI are now competing against themselves for the limelight.
There are high number of AI coming up recently which will now bring the power back to us to decide which one to use as a tool for improving our work.
For all the hype, AI doesn't yet write compelling anything. It can capture a lot of detail when its writing but it's style is flat to say the list. IF you're an academic that reads dry studies a lot, you might find it compelling. The average reader wont.
You can do some awesome brainstorming with AI to gain those details from it and then write a piece a person actually wants to read with some life in it.
Every advancement has brought out fears of something being lost. Some things will pass away and other opportunities will arise. Look back to when the printing press was introduced, there was fear and panic about common people being able to read and gain knowledge of their own. With the camera it was that artists/illustrators would be a thing of the past, it's not. When cars were invented all the industries around horse and carriages were in an uproar. Yes, they died out, other industries grew.
Will some jobs disappear? Absolutely Will others appear? Yes and that is where you shift yourself to. I've read that AI is being used to correlate multiple research studies to find otherwise unnoticed results. Those new results could open up another avenue for human research Imagine being the guy who knows how to work that data and have AI make those finds.
I love your incredibly optimistic approach to things. And, the fact is you're very much right. In the end, it's going to be a case of 'evolve or die.' New opportunities will definitely arise.
Thanks for this insightful comment.
I read your post after having participated in a discord discussion about AI the previous evening and we'd talked about the introduction of different innovations through the years and the fearful reactions. AI is getting the same
Definitely, we are scared of the future that seems unknown. Whereas, that future will take care of itself.
AI is gradually gaining ground, it's just a matter of time before they take over 80% of all humans do, yes, 80% , I doubt if AI would be able to do all that human does, else, we would have no relevance and that's where the world is heading to, to make their creator lords and the rest their subjects. It's high time one has different streams of income before every door closes.
#dreemerforlife
What will humans do once 80% of the job is gone to AI? The situation is already tense as it is, its worrisome to think about what will happen then.
We still choices for now, until 666 comes
Though I don't really know much about Al waves, but from what you've written it's only wise to have a support system so a relieve off duty would not take you unaware as much.
As we are fast immersing into the emergence of technology the need for human labour is fast becoming limited.
#dreemerforlife #dreemport
What happens when the most menial of jobs like waitresses and attendants get taken by robots? I hope we find a way to maximize AI but there will be casualties.
Jeez,... That's quite scary losing her job.
Well, the thing is that I believe that even with the inception of AI, humans are still exceptional and will always prevail with the right set of skills..
Nice reading from you
@dreemerforlife #hhym #marathon @dreemport
It's getting to the point whereby only the most dynamic of humans will be gainfully employed. It's scary to know one can sleep one day only to wake up the next without a job. Just like you said, we will find our way around it.
Thanks for stopping by
Of course... You're welcome
It's quite sad, how AI is gradually taking over the jobs of humans.
The good thing is you have a very unique skill that AI can never take from you.
I popped in from #dreemport. #dreemerforlife
Thanks for stopping by.
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