How I Overcame my Fear of AI

 Having been in and around technology since 1973, I have seen many shifts, jumps, and paradigm leaps.

Avoiding the effect of AI on your job:  change careers

AI is one of those major paradigm shifts, which will affect every non-physical trade or skill.  Hairdressers, plumbers, sushi chefs will be the last to be directly affected.  So if you're wondering how to avoid the impact of AI, look for a career shift that involves you performance of a physical activity, preferably out "in the field."

For example, during my "weekend of panic about the impact of AI" I decided that I could easily become a certified home inspector, and figured that this career would serve me for the foreseeable future.  Checking outlets, water pressure, and crawling through attics and sub-floors could eventually be done by a combination of specialized robots, but I figured for the length of my working years, I would be safe.

Having passed through the first 3 phases of grief about the reach and consequence of AI (Denial, Anger, Bargaining), I slipped quickly through Depression to the final stage of Acceptance.

AI applications will continue to grow and evolve

It is true that every day (not every week), there are new extensions and morphing of last weeks new functions into new applications.

It is intellectually impossible to comprehend and understand all the applications because the scope evolves so quickly, even it if it is a linear progression.  So don't try to understand every possible application of AI. 

Instead, focus on how the tools you now use may be improved to make you appear smarter using AI.  I encourage you to start trying the AI functions that you see because they are, or soon will be, in every kind of software that you use daily.  

We're all just learning new skills.

I'll be focusing on helping businesses understand where the quick wins are when implementing a new AI-based system, with the initial list including customer support, client onboarding, and interactive knowledge bases built on the company or individual's personal body of work, resources, or knowledge.

How the Learning Experience will change

I do see it changing how we will experience learning new concepts and skills, shifting from linear (chapter 1, chapter 2, etc), to a more dynamic & conversational experience (answer these questions - in any order.  Understand these basics, but go as deep as your curiosity takes you on any of them).

If you have specific questions or want me to dive into a topic or a software program that you found interesting, just Join the Newsletter below, and you get access to me by email.