May 11, 2023
Replaced by AI
I will not be replaced by AI.
(And neither will you)
My current job might be, but I am not my job.
(And neither are you)
If AI can undertake the activities that I currently perform in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the price, that’d be great!
It would free me up to find better ways to create more value faster for my fellow humans.
(As it would for you)
You might ask:
But when AI surpasses you in your own profession what makes you think you can retrain in a different one, be better than an AI in that and compete with the other professionals in that sector?
My current take is that some people are always going to want to have other people do certain “people things.”
But if I’m wrong...
I won’t need to change my profession to compete with AI, I’ll probably just need to recalibrate my daily activities.
But if I’m wrong...
Until AI is animating an army of humanoid robots, people will still need plumbers, electricians, roofers, pavers, bricklayers, stonemasons, chimney sweeps, carpenters, cleaners, dog walkers, pet groomers, dry cleaners, laundry folders, landscapers, exterminators, pool cleaners, fence installers, truck drivers, butchers, bakers, barbers, estheticians, personal trainers, physical therapists, in-home caregivers, and hundreds of other IRL services that don’t require extensive training or certification.
So, I wouldn’t retrain in a new profession.
I’d start a brand new IRL service business that AI couldn’t compete with.
I predict that demand for these services will increase faster than supply.
But if I’m wrong...
I would leverage the power of AI to help create a high-margin physical product business.
Even with the incredible advancements of AI in the last couple of years, it’s pretty hard to imagine an AI going into business for itself selling physical products.
People will never not need physical products. Food, clothing, housing, furniture, transportation, tools, games, sporting goods, consumables, housewares, paper goods, jewelry, accessories, electronics... the list goes on almost to infinity.
Of course, a pivot like this might seem overwhelming if you identify as a “web designer,” or a “full-stack developer,” or a “software architect,” or an “SEO expert,” or a “Salesforce consultant,” or whatever else you have defined your craft to be.
But...
If you are independent or self-employed or freelance or whatever you call “not working for an employer,” then your REAL craft is entrepreneurship.
Yours,
—J