How AI could cut wages of workers who don't 'upskill' | The Business

ABC News (Australia)
12 Mar 202408:31

TLDRThe integration of generative AI into the workforce is set to disrupt certain occupations while insulating others, such as healthcare professionals. The key for workers is to upskill and adapt, focusing on tasks that blend human creativity with AI capabilities. As AI becomes a standard tool, it has the potential to broaden the pool of candidates in recruitment and aid in the creation of new roles, particularly in sustainability, diversity, and AI itself. However, the issue of AI bias is a significant concern that must be addressed to ensure the technology serves as an inclusive tool for progress.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 Generative AI is changing the workplace, augmenting some jobs, disrupting others, and insulating a few.
  • 🔐 Occupations like locksmiths, physical therapists, nurses, and doctors are likely to be insulated from generative AI impacts.
  • 📉 Roles such as librarians and legal clerks may face disruption as generative AI could take over many of their tasks.
  • 🚀 Upskilling is crucial for workers to adapt and evolve with the integration of AI into their roles.
  • 🤝 Jobs that benefit most from generative AI are those requiring a mix of human skills and AI-replicable skills, creating a synergy between human and AI.
  • 🌐 Eventually, everyone will need to understand and use AI, similar to how the internet is essential today for job applications.
  • 📆 Widespread understanding and integration of AI into work processes is estimated to be 5-7 years away.
  • 🔍 AI can assist employers in finding candidates by widening the net of potential applicants, focusing on skills rather than past roles or qualifications.
  • 📈 There has been a significant increase in job ads requiring AI skills, with a 21-fold increase in just one year.
  • 🌟 The fastest-growing roles are often new ones that didn't exist 20-25 years ago, with a focus on sustainability, diversity, and AI.
  • 🛠 To develop AI skills, one doesn't need to become an AI master but should be literate with AI tools, starting with small online courses.

Q & A

  • What is the impact of generative AI on the workforce?

    -Generative AI will impact the workforce by augmenting some occupations, disrupting others, and insulating a few. Roles like locksmiths, physical therapists, nurses, and doctors are likely to be insulated, while roles involving tasks like summarizing data, such as librarians or legal clerks, may be disrupted.

  • How can individuals protect themselves from being replaced by AI?

    -Individuals can protect themselves by upskilling and learning to integrate AI into their work processes. This involves understanding how AI works and leveraging it to perform tasks more effectively.

  • Which occupations are likely to benefit the most from generative AI?

    -Occupations that benefit from a mix of human skills and AI-replicable skills, such as user experience technicians, web designers, and software engineers, are likely to benefit the most from generative AI.

  • When do you think everyone will need to learn how to use AI?

    -It is anticipated that within five to seven years, everyone will have a basic understanding of AI and how to integrate it into their work processes, similar to how everyone now needs to know how to use the internet for job applications.

  • How can AI be used in recruitment to avoid bias?

    -AI can be used to widen the net of potential applicants by focusing on skills rather than prior job titles or degrees. This approach can help bring in more diverse candidates, but it is crucial to have humans at the forefront to ensure fairness and avoid bias.

  • What are the fastest-growing roles today?

    -The fastest-growing roles today are oriented towards sustainability, green skills, diversity and inclusion, AI and generative AI, as well as traditional roles in healthcare and construction.

  • How has the demand for AI skills in job ads changed recently?

    -There has been a significant increase in job ads requiring AI skills, with a 21-fold increase in the past year globally, reflecting employers' desire to integrate AI into their processes and systems.

  • What AI skills do individuals need to develop?

    -Individuals do not need to become AI experts but should be literate with AI tools. Microlearning and online courses can help increase understanding of AI and how it can be applied in various roles without becoming overwhelming.

  • How does AI bias, as seen in Google's Gemini app, affect the perception of AI reliability?

    -AI bias highlights the early phase of AI development and adoption. It serves as a warning to be attentive to the risks and ensure that AI is used as a tool to aid humanity rather than perpetuate bias.

  • Will the mass adoption of AI in the future create or eliminate more jobs?

    -History suggests that the mass adoption of AI will create more jobs overall, although some jobs may be lost in the transition. It is important to consider those who might bear the cost of this transition and support them through retraining and upskilling.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Impact of Generative AI on Occupations

This paragraph discusses the varying impact of generative AI on different occupations. It highlights that some jobs, like locksmiths, physical therapists, nurses, and doctors, are likely to be insulated from AI disruption due to their inherently human-centric nature. However, other roles, such as librarians and legal clerks, may see significant disruption as generative AI could take over tasks like summarizing data. The speaker emphasizes the importance of upskilling to adapt to these changes rather than fearing replacement by AI. It also touches on the potential for AI to benefit certain occupations by augmenting human skills with AI capabilities, creating a synergy in the workplace.

05:01

💡 Necessity of AI Skills and Addressing AI Bias

The paragraph focuses on the increasing need for AI skills in the job market, with a notable increase in job ads requiring AI proficiency. It discusses the importance of being literate with AI tools, but not necessarily becoming an expert in AI technologies. The speaker suggests that microlearning and online courses can help individuals understand how to use AI in their work. Additionally, the conversation addresses the issue of AI bias, referencing specific instances like Google's Gemini app generating historically inaccurate images. The speaker stresses the need for vigilance in using AI to avoid perpetuating bias and emphasizes that AI should be a tool to aid humanity, not a source of discrimination.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Generative AI

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content, such as text, images, or music. In the context of the video, generative AI is seen as a transformative technology that will augment certain occupations, disrupt others, and potentially insulate some from significant change. For example, jobs like locksmiths, physical therapists, and doctors are considered somewhat insulated, while roles in librarianship and legal work might be more disrupted by the capabilities of generative AI to summarize data and perform tasks traditionally done by humans.

💡Upskilling

Upskilling is the process of improving one's skills and abilities through training and education to meet new job requirements or industry changes. In the video, upskilling is highlighted as a crucial strategy for workers to adapt to the changing job landscape due to the rise of generative AI. It suggests that rather than fearing replacement by AI, workers should focus on enhancing their skills to complement and work alongside AI technologies.

💡Occupations

Occupations refer to specific jobs or roles that individuals perform in various industries. The video discusses how different occupations will be affected differently by generative AI. Some jobs may become augmented by AI, improving efficiency and capabilities, while others may face disruption as AI takes over certain tasks. The video also mentions that there are roles that will remain largely insulated from the impact of AI, such as healthcare professionals.

💡Disruption

Disruption, in the context of the video, refers to the significant change or alteration in the way occupations and industries function due to the introduction of generative AI. This can lead to a shift in the tasks performed by workers, with AI taking over some responsibilities, potentially leading to job loss or a need for workers to adapt their skill sets. The video suggests that roles such as librarians and legal clerks may face disruption as generative AI could perform tasks like summarizing data.

💡Synergy

Synergy is the interaction or cooperation of two or more elements to produce a combined effect that is greater than the sum of their individual effects. In the video, synergy between human and AI is seen as the ideal outcome in the workplace, where human skills are complemented by AI capabilities. This mix is considered the 'sweet spot' for future work, as it allows for enhanced productivity and creativity, with AI taking on more routine tasks and humans focusing on higher cognitive load work.

💡Recruitment

Recruitment refers to the process of identifying, attracting, and hiring suitable candidates for job vacancies. The video discusses how AI can be used as a tool in recruitment to help widen the pool of potential applicants by focusing on skills rather than previous job titles or degrees. This approach can lead to a more diverse workforce, including more women and underrepresented candidates. However, the video also cautions about the risks of AI bias and emphasizes the importance of having human oversight in the recruitment process.

💡AI Bias

AI bias refers to the tendency of artificial intelligence systems to make decisions or produce outcomes that unfairly favor certain groups or individuals over others. In the video, the example of Amazon's AI recruitment tool is mentioned, which reportedly discriminated against women. The video stresses the need for vigilance and human involvement to mitigate such biases and ensure that AI tools are used ethically and effectively.

💡Job Ads

Job ads are advertisements posted by employers to attract potential candidates for open positions. The video notes a significant increase in job ads requiring AI skills, indicating a growing demand for talent that can integrate AI technologies into various processes and systems. This reflects a shift in the job market, where AI and generative AI skills are becoming increasingly valuable.

💡Microlearning

Microlearning refers to the practice of learning in small, focused segments or 'chunks' of information, often through short online courses or tutorials. In the video, microlearning is suggested as a practical approach for individuals to develop AI skills and increase their understanding of AI technologies without needing to become experts in the field. This can help workers adapt to the changing job landscape and enhance their employability in the age of AI.

💡Technology Transition

Technology transition refers to the process of shifting from old technologies to new ones, which often brings changes to the job market and the skills required for various occupations. The video discusses the potential for AI to create more jobs overall, despite some jobs being lost during the transition. It emphasizes the importance of supporting those who may bear the brunt of the transition's challenges and highlights the creation of new, unimagined jobs as a result of technological advancements.

💡Economic Impact

The economic impact of AI refers to the effects that AI technologies have on the economy, including job creation, productivity growth, and changes in the labor market. The video suggests that, following historical patterns, the mass adoption of AI will likely lead to job creation, although it may not be uniform and some jobs may be lost. The economic impact also involves considering the distribution of these changes, ensuring that the costs of transition are not disproportionately borne by certain groups.

Highlights

Generative AI is changing the workplace, augmenting some occupations and disrupting others.

Roles like locksmith, physical therapist, nurse, and doctor are likely to be insulated from generative AI.

Occupations that could be disrupted by AI include librarian and legal clerk, as tasks could be performed by generative AI.

Upskilling is essential for workers to adapt to the changing job landscape due to AI.

Occupations that benefit most from generative AI are those that rely on a mix of human and AI-replicable skills.

The synergy between human and AI is the sweet spot in the workplace going forward.

User experience technicians, web designers, and software engineers will see a mix of task shedding to AI and increased focus on creative and high cognitive load work.

Everyone will eventually need to understand and use AI, just like using the internet is essential today.

AI can help recruiters widen the net of potential applicants by focusing on skills rather than previous roles or degrees.

AI has the potential to bring in more diverse candidates, but human oversight is crucial to avoid bias.

The fastest-growing roles today did not exist 20-25 years ago, highlighting the impact of technology on job creation.

Healthcare and construction roles continue to be among the fastest-growing, alongside AI-oriented positions.

There has been a 21-fold increase in job ads requiring AI skills, reflecting employers' desire for AI integration.

Individuals are encouraged to develop AI skills, but not necessarily to become experts in AI technologies.

Online courses offer opportunities for microlearning and increasing understanding of AI tools.

AI bias is a valid concern, but being attentive to risks and using AI as a tool can mitigate these issues.

Historically, technological advancements have created more jobs than they have lost, and AI is expected to follow this trend.

The mass adoption of AI will likely lead to the creation of jobs we can't even imagine today.

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