I didn’t think my opinion on this would slightly change sooner than I expected. But it feels like we’re getting there. If you read my previous blog post, that might be a breath of fresh air. But now, I’m a bit less ignorant, and there might actually be jobs that are in danger.
I’m not saying that AI will completely eradicate all jobs that can be automated. Of course, to an extent, certain jobs still need human supervision. We can’t just let AI automate us like AUTO from the Wall-E movie, the one that pilots the spaceship. I just don’t think we’re anywhere near to that stage where it makes decisions for us, let alone the right ones.
But the fact of the matter is that there really are jobs that are slowly getting replaced as we speak. Here are some recent news about companies replacing their employees with AI:
- Google: Google cut more employees as it introduces AI technology and reports record profits.
- Infosys: An Infosys executive mentioned that AI will directly impact jobs, and companies will hire fewer employees in the future.
- General Impact: A report discusses the potential of AI to make companies more efficient and workers happier, or cause mass misery.
- Companies Replacing People with AI: An article discusses how companies that replace people with AI might get left behind.
- Workers Replaced by AI: A BBC report discusses workers who have already been replaced by artificial intelligence.
- AI Impact on Jobs: Four in 10 companies say artificial intelligence is likely to replace some employees in 2024.
- Amazon, Discord, Microsoft: These tech companies have also cut employees as they introduce AI technology.
- IKEA: IKEA has retrained 8,500 staff who worked in its call centres as design advisers. The furniture giant says that 47% of customer calls are now handled by an AI called Billie.
- Goldman Sachs Report: A report from Goldman Sachs said that AI could potentially replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.
- Administrative and Legal Professions: According to the Goldman Sachs report, 46% of tasks in administrative and 44% in legal professions could be automated.
The list goes on, and the more I see these kinds of news every day, the more compelled I am to think that the day is approaching much faster than we anticipated.
Of course, as an AI user, I have to say that AI has really helped me become more productive than I ever thought possible, especially compared to those days when AI was just a dream for the future. But as it stands, I don’t think AI will replace my job as a developer sooner.
I’m using AI to assist me with writing my code, and trust me, you need to have experience with writing software before you can even consider relying solely on AI. There are undeniable limitations, and I had to tweak certain aspects before I could fully trust the AI generated code.
While relying solely on AI to write code may not result in high-quality software, integrating AI as a productivity tool can greatly enhance the development process and contribute to creating exceptional software.
But here are some recent articles discussing the quality of AI-generated code compared to human-written code:
- DeepMind’s AlphaCode: DeepMind has developed an AI, AlphaCode, that can write software and performs almost as well as an average human programmer. However, generating code is a particularly thorny problem for AI because it is difficult to assess how near to success a particular output is.
- AI Coding Tools May Produce Worse Software: A report suggests that software generated by AI may fall apart quicker than if it were written by humans. The use of AI tools to assist with writing code is creating a messier and less sustainable product compared to human-authored code.
- New Study on Coding Behavior: A research project from GitClear, a developer analytics tool, analyzed 153 million changed lines of code, comparing changes done in 2023 versus prior years, when AI was not as relevant for code generation. The study raises questions about the impact of AI on software development.
I just don’t think it will replace the jobs of, for example, writers. As compelling as it seems, generative AI still can’t produce something that’s truly original. However, I strongly agree that writers can leverage AI for their writing, as they could become even more productive if they learn how to use it. For example, they can use AI as grammar checkers and proofreaders.
Believe me, I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that I used AI to write this article. It’d take away all the joy of writing this myself. Although, I have to admit, English being my second language, I have to ensure that I don’t make typos and grammatical errors. So, I use AI to do that. I don’t know about you, but letting ChatGPT write my emails just doesn’t feel natural. Believe me, I’ve used it in a bunch of my emails, and when I read those past emails, I did notice that they were utterly unnatural to read. I just didn’t feel my presence in those emails. So now, I just use AI to check my grammar but leave the tone originally mine.
Final Thoughts
You know, it’s a big question: what happens to your worth at work when AI steps in? Personally, I don’t see it as a total loss. For many employers, efficiency and precision matter most. But going all-in with machines might not be the smartest move for your business. I believe finding a middle ground is key here. AI isn’t about kicking you out; it’s about guiding you away from tasks that aren’t your strong suit.
You know, some people are pretty wary of AI, thinking it’s going to ruin everything. But I reckon if we focus on people rather than just chasing profits, we’ll come out on top in the end. I’m optimistic that with the dawn of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), we’ll see the creation of new job opportunities, rather than wholesale job displacement. I’m much compelled that this is about evolving our workforce, rather than leaving us behind. This tech’s a double-edged sword. Use it for harm, and chaos follows. But if we use it for good, paradise awaits.