There used to be a time when a "computer"[1] was an actual human being, whose full-time job was to perform mathematical calculations.
That job is basically obsolete now obviously, but I do wonder how they managed the transition when it became clear that their job will be automated away.
Thats a very specific example, and I confess I don't know say ex-calculators to ask. Let me substitute with a more main-stream example. Secretaries.
My mother trained as a typist. She worked in a large open plan space doing, well, typing. From there you got promoted to being a secretary, taking dictation, typing, scheduling, and so on.
Today "secretarys" in that sense are mostly gone. I write my own emails. I manage my own schedule. We now have 2 "impersonal assistants", or "office managers" (or whatever else we should call them). They answer the phone, organise catering when needed, do a million admin-type tasks, process orders, keep the kitchen stocked and a bunch of other things that keep the office moving smoothly.
My point is the at the bottom end, roles morph. There are lots of useful things to do, and when done well you notice. (Ours are very good, we pay them well.)
AI is a tool. Just like any tool it will replace some jobs and create others. Change can be scary, but as one who has lived through many changes I can encourage by saying that change also brings opportunities. We can't predict the future but we can adapt to the present.
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Something I'm curious about:
There used to be a time when a "computer"[1] was an actual human being, whose full-time job was to perform mathematical calculations.
That job is basically obsolete now obviously, but I do wonder how they managed the transition when it became clear that their job will be automated away.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation)
Thats a very specific example, and I confess I don't know say ex-calculators to ask. Let me substitute with a more main-stream example. Secretaries.
My mother trained as a typist. She worked in a large open plan space doing, well, typing. From there you got promoted to being a secretary, taking dictation, typing, scheduling, and so on.
Today "secretarys" in that sense are mostly gone. I write my own emails. I manage my own schedule. We now have 2 "impersonal assistants", or "office managers" (or whatever else we should call them). They answer the phone, organise catering when needed, do a million admin-type tasks, process orders, keep the kitchen stocked and a bunch of other things that keep the office moving smoothly.
My point is the at the bottom end, roles morph. There are lots of useful things to do, and when done well you notice. (Ours are very good, we pay them well.)
AI is a tool. Just like any tool it will replace some jobs and create others. Change can be scary, but as one who has lived through many changes I can encourage by saying that change also brings opportunities. We can't predict the future but we can adapt to the present.
[1] Annecsotally the movie Hidden Figures showed them transitioning to programmers. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Figures