Oh, the marvels of our age! They told us the future would be bright, glittering with the promise of technology that would whisk us away from the drudgery of daily toil. Yet here we are, staring into the abyss of Generative AI—an invention so dazzling that it could make even the most stoic of us gasp in delight and dread. It's a veritable Pandora's box, my friends, and it seems we’ve cracked it wide open without so much as a second thought.
Let’s talk turkey. Or perhaps we should say, let’s talk job postings, which are sprouting like weeds in a neglected garden. A recent report by Callam Pickering, leader of the dismal science at international jobs board, Indeed, has revealed that mentions of generative AI in job descriptions have surged threefold in Australia alone. That’s right, three times the references to this technological sorcery, a figure that has left the world agog and agape. But what are we really to make of this sudden surge? Is it the dawn of a new era, or merely the harbinger of our collective unemployment?
The report speaks of data analytics, software development, and scientific research as the playgrounds for our new robotic overlords. Jobs once held by those with degrees in the arcane arts of human knowledge are now being infiltrated by algorithms. Your jobs. Yes, folks, the very same tools that can churn out poetry and paint pictures are also ready to take a seat at the office desk. And while some may see this as progress, I can’t help but wonder—what happens to the poor souls whose skills are deemed “replaceable”?
Nor is this the only harbinger.
The IMF, courtesy of Anton Korinek, recently weighed in with a paper called "AI may be on a trajectory to surpass human intelligence; we should be prepared."
Scenario I: Business as Usual
Ah, the gilded promises of progress, wrapped in the hum of machines. AI strides forth, armed with algorithms, to take the drudgery from our hands and boost productivity to Olympian heights. But fear not, says the optimist; for every job whisked away by a robotic understudy, another will materialize—cleaner, shinier, and more "productive," they assure us. It's the career equivalent of being kicked out of a dingy diner only to find oneself in a trendy café with artisanal avocado toast.
One might raise an eyebrow and wonder if these "new opportunities" will suit everyone equally. But no matter, say the charts—look at the lines rising ever so gracefully! The world is orderly, and displaced workers shall march confidently into their bright, productive futures. A happy tale, though it reads suspiciously like a bedtime story.
Scenario II: Baseline AGI in 20 Years
And now, the plot thickens. Imagine, if you will, that AI doesn’t just stop at flipping burgers and balancing spreadsheets but graduates to performing all human work tasks. Yes, all of them. Give it twenty years, and suddenly your brainpower, darling, is as passé as a powdered wig.
The labor market would falter, its workers turned into relics of a bygone era when flesh and bone still held value. Those clever enough to conjure up AGI might reassure us with platitudes, but make no mistake: the line on the chart slopes ominously downward for anyone still clinging to the quaint notion of earning a living with their wits. One wonders if they’ll let us keep hobbies—or if AI will write our poetry, too.
Scenario III: Aggressive AGI in Five Years
And finally, the pièce de résistance: AGI not in twenty years, but five. Five years, dearest reader! A blink of an eye, and suddenly the machines have taken over, leaving us to wrestle with existential dread and Netflix queues. No time to adapt, no time to plan—just a swift march to irrelevance, led by relentless silicon overlords.
The charts here are stark, the slope steep, the consequences chilling. The robots might not just steal our jobs but also our very purpose. And yet, humanity has a knack for gallows humor. Perhaps we'll adapt by sipping cocktails at the end of the world, toasting our irrelevance with a wry smile and a well-crafted AI-generated pun.
So there you have it, three scenarios: the hopeful, the harrowing, and the outright horrifying. But no matter the timeline, one thing is clear: progress may be inevitable, but for the human condition, it is rarely kind.
Join the queue
Meanwhile back at Indeed, it appears from the Pickering paper that sectors like accounting and insurance are lagging behind in the GenAI race, but let’s not be fooled into thinking they’re safe from the encroaching tide. With the quicksilver pace at which technology evolves, it’s only a matter of time before even those who cradle calculators and balance sheets find themselves out on the street, clutching their diplomas like a life preserver in a sea of uncertainty.
Artists, advance!
Ah, but there's a twist in this tale! The report reveals that the arts and entertainment sectors are embracing generative AI with open arms. Who would have thought? The very domain where creativity reigns is now wrestling with a contraption that can churn out sonnets and sketches at the speed of light. Have we truly reached a point where a computer can rival the human spirit? One would hope that the soul of artistry remains untouched, but alas, the more we gaze into the digital abyss, the more we risk losing our essence.
As we gallivant through this brave new world, let us not forget the social implications of our newfound companions. For every job replaced by a dispassionate algorithm, there’s a story untold, a dream deferred. The report hints at a narrow adoption of GenAI in certain sectors, with many job postings devoid of any mention of our silicon friends. Is this a sign of resistance, or merely a delay before the inevitable tide washes over us?
So, dear readers, as we navigate this technological tempest, let us pause and ponder. Are we truly ready to let our fates rest in the hands of machines? Or will we rise to reclaim our narrative, ensuring that the human touch remains a cherished thread in the tapestry of existence? The answers may be as elusive as a whisper in the wind, but one thing is certain: the conversation has only just begun, and I, for one, will be watching with bated breath and a pen poised to ink the next chapter of this unfolding saga.
After all, in a world where everything is generative, let’s ensure that our humanity is the one thing that remains genuinely ours.
