Until recently, discussions around machines taking the place or jobs typically revolved around automation and robots. But now with the emergence of ChatGPT and other advanced AI models, the threat has become much more real and a bigger problem for millions of job seekers.
This AI technology, built upon large language models (LLM) was designed to serve as a conversational tool but it is quickly becoming a vehicle to replace IT, software, tech and media & creative agency jobs and digital economy platforms. According to a report by Goldman Sachs, AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna went even further, predicting that AI and automation could replace up to 30 percent of jobs in the next five years, putting thousands of its employees at risk of displacement. To handle this transition, the company has paused hiring for those roles it believes can be filled via AI.
Arundhati Bhattacharya, CEO for Salesforce India, sees the potential in generative AI to take away the more repetitive tasks and allow people to do more creative work. She believes that AI can help curate things and make them more relevant if asked the right questions.
An extensive study by the University of Pennsylvania and OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, found that almost 80 percent of jobs may be impacted by artificial intelligence, with the highest exposure to jobs in the information sector. This includes programming, which is already being targeted by AI.
On the other hand, jobs such as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing may be the least exposed to generative artificial intelligence. Kristian Hammond, chief scientist of Natural Sciences, predicts that within 15 years, 90 percent of news will be written by machines.
To confront this potential, several technology companies have turned to “prompt managers” to help manage certain tasks using AI chatbots. As such, it is essential for the future of the workforce to develop AI skills.
Facebook’s parent company Meta has recently raised alarm over the use of fake ChatGPT apps created to defraud people. This reinforces the need to be aware of any disruptive or malicious AI trends that could rob humans of their privacy.
In conclusion, ChatGPT and other generative AI models are a great threat to millions of job-seekers, with the potential to disrupt industries such as Software, IT, media & creative agencies and platforms for the digital economy. To prepare for this transition, the future work force must acquire AI skills and ensure they are aware of any malicious trends.
