What jobs & university courses should kids aim for to protect employment from Artifical Ingelligence?

[Suncreamweather]

Following on from the Artificial Intelligence thread.. What careers & university courses will still still be necessary for humans to carry out?

I've heard hairdressing is pretty AI proof. But yes it's hugely difficult to say now what will be a 'safe' job in 10 or 20 years' time.

Actually UBI would be similar
Remember it replaces benefits. It's not an addition.
So it would be the same 200b bill, just spread out over all adults rather than half of adults.

It's petrifying. I know & am friends with many neurodiverse, highly intelligent people in the tech world who have either been let go, hours reduced or who's jobs have become so stressful they could no longer cope mentally.
Years ago tech was such a safe profession to enter, lots of jobs, opportunities & scope to progress quickly.
Neurodiverse people thrived in the tech industry. It's so sad.

I don't think it's petrifying at all. We'll adapt.

A lot of construction jobs will go to automation. There are anlready automated bricklaying robots that can do the job of multiple human bricklayers with a single supervisor but even this is a stopgap as construction is going to be a huge growth area for 3D printing. Why build a house out of bricks when a robot can 3D print it in polymer-reinforced concrete? 1st and 2nd fix will be done by humans for a while longer but the actual building is going to be all automated before long.

Trades. Robots are not going to replace construction workers any time soon - in factories to engineer equipment and materials yes, but not the actual building. Plumbers, electricians. Our housing stock is old and cranky, and while a computer may be able to diagnose an issue in a new high tech build, can it crawl under the sink to fix it? Not yet.
Computers/robots are best at repetitive automatic tasks, dealing with inanimate objects, unless operated by humans (on a recent TV show the bar staff were all robots, but each one had at least one human controller). Or tasks that don't require physical involvement (like chat bots, though in my last three experiences I still had to be passed to a human).
Robots may be able to go around nursing homes and deliver meals, sort out medication and even chat to patients and play a game of chess, but they are nowhere near being able to wash a semi invalid, cut someone's hair, give a massage.
So trades and anything requiring hands on treatment/therapy/care. Politics. Diplomacy. Thought. Empathy. Creativity (AI art is not creative in the true sense).
AI uses existing data. It cannot come up with original thoughts.

I actually used to work with robots in a factory. I used to code them!

I agree, they won't be taking over construction anytime soon.

Those that require intense personal contact with other people. Nursing (IE medical occupations), social work, some police work, teaching are some examples.

I'd say lifeguard, carpenter, doctor, nurse, professional athlete of any kind, sports coach of any kind, teacher, quite a lot really.

Do we get an AI prime minister? That might be preferable.

Covid has just proven to the world that we need human interaction. Think of all the apps too for fitness, yet people haven't stopped going to the gym, just staying at home to workout, or going to the park alone. Same with mental health support and coaching, there are loads of apps (and books) with information that's brilliant, but people still go in waiting lists. Additionally it's been proven that most therapy works best when the client feels a click with the therapist. The human connection is very important to us. We need it. So some things will benefit from AI, like certain surgeries, but when the human connection adds to the experience, ultimately AI won't replace it, or not entirely.

Additionally AI seems quite biased, so unless that changes there will be groups who don't find it as helpful as clicking with the right person more generally.

I also think that things like the trades will not be entirely replaced. Things like plumbing in the UK deal with so many different types of sewage and water systems due to the age of our buildings that AI would have to be developed to specifically deal with all the configurations. And building techniques and materials change not only over time, but place too. Every country has different standards and regulations. Until our homes are more uniform, I can't see that the investment required to fully and accurately replace plumbers (in this instance) would actually be worth the return.

These type of roles will be much more difficult with neurodiversity.. The future looks set to really advantage neurotypical kids..

My best guess would be anything where having a human do it makes it qualitatively different- professional sports, say, or crafts where something being handmade by a human adds value.

I'd be cautious of making predictions about what might happen in 20 years and advising children on the strength of that- I don't think anyone can foresee how things will turn out, the impact of AI is going to be far greater and less predictable than that. The worst outcome would be to steer your children towards something they wouldn't otherwise choose and then it turns out to be the wrong choice (like telling your child to go into coding and not foreseeing that most coding will be done by AI before long- of course, we'll still need some humans too but not as many). Honestly think the best advice is still to follow your heart, do what you find interesting, and when the world changes you'll find a way to adapt. And if we all end up jobless on UBI, at least you'll have done something you love and furnished your mind well.

How about actually designing the AI. In terms of software and hardware? Rather than say no thanks so all technological advancements?

The same goes for these who refuse to allow technology to be used by kids. It's not really helping them Succeed in life ! You should limit social media. Not the tools used to access it

How about actually designing the AI. In terms of software and hardware?

This will almost certainly be done by AI.

Would anybody bother going to university and getting into debt if they could just sit and home and get UBI?

There will be no need for anyone to go to uni. AI will take care of everything.
People will be able to sit in their garden, in the cabbage patch, and chat to the other vegetables. Until the AI masters decide that humans are surplus to requirements.
The cork is out of the bottle. Enjoy.
😉😁😁

Agree- This is where people miss the point- people can’t code AI. AI teaches itself from “experience”. A lot of developers already don’t understand how or why AI systems reach the conclusions they do. They will start to make connections between things that humans have never made which has massive potential but is also kind of scary because effectively we no longer run the show.

@illiterato yes the AI can continue to correct & improve & better itself it seems..

Counselling. Yes, an AI robot could churn out a counselling session but the feeling of talking to a human - being heard - is important.

I think something the rich like or enjoy so sports or music where theres a premium for a human involvement.

I also think horse care. Theres always horses.

Jobs that involve anything physical, AI can't build a fence.

Jobs that involve planning & puzzle solving.

You can get ChatGPT to helpfully plan things & solve puzzles, but you have to ask the questions with all the right info: ie, you have to think for ChatGPT in terms of knowing what information is required. Asking the questions with enough info takes flipping ages, many iterations, you're better off thinking for yourself !! In fact, upon implementation you'll likely discover a new aspect you hadn't thought of (and neither did the AI); you can fix it there and then or you can do yet more questions to the AI.

If the planning takes a lot of actions afterwards: humans do those actions, not AI.

The AI gives incredibly awful answers to half-formed questions. Humans are are much more agile at figuring out what information is needed to find a good answer.

Jobs that involve anything physical, AI can't build a fence.

@lljkk Oh it will be able to. Just think of 3D printing on a much larger scale.

Will the AI be out in the garden measuring up the garden space to calc'd how many panels the garden needs? Will the AI be picking up the panels & slotting them into the gravel boards, or removing the rotten posts & bedding the gravel boards in? Will the AI choose the stain colour for you? Will the AI decide the best price for someone to 3D print the panels, tell the company your phone number, text you when delivery will be, & rearrange delivery because the timing isn't convenient?

Will the AI negotiate with your neighbours when you decide to share costs for replacing joint boundary panels, or when neighbours object to the colour you stained the panels? Will the AI trim down the buddleia next to the rotten panel so you can reach over the buddleia to insert the new panel? Will the AI decide your panel is so broken it needs replacing now & your bank account will cough that payment up?

Yes to all of those. I don’t think you realise what’s coming.