While many workers are concerned about potentially being replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the future, Richard Baldwin, professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland, believes that the risk is small. According to Baldwin, it is not AI, but the person handling it, who is responsible for taking up job roles, that can be impacted.
AI, as Baldwin explains, provides capabilities to workers, allowing them to do their jobs better and more effectively. A nurse who handles a medical application powered by AI can now perform tasks with efficiency. Baldwin sees it as a “power” being given to workers, particularly middle-class ones, as labor-intensive tasks can be done immediately by powerful AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that such machines can be highly disruptive in terms of job market.
This issue of job market disruption is further explored in a recent Goldman Sachs study, which probes into AI’s potential impact on full-time jobs worldwide. But many professionals view AI to be a useful resource in becoming more productive, and it has seen usage in developing codes, writing press releases, and creating lesson plans.
There are now even courses tailored to teaching people how to adapt their workflow to AI, earning instructors like Lance Junck significant amounts of revenue. Akash Nigam, CEO of Genies, an AI-based avatar creator, plots to include AI usage into employee annual performance reviews.
Given the rise of generative AI, it is certain that certain work roles could be soon taken away from humans. Still, Baldwin believes that the fundamental change will be for the better, uplifting the middle class and making work easier to handle.
