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Which professions / jobs will be safe from AI for our kids/teens in the next 10-15y?

10 replies

Analysisandparalysis · 29/12/2024 13:17

Trying to help my kids think about the future and possible jobs.. Seems quite daunting!

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AgathaMystery · 29/12/2024 13:18

It’s moving too fast to know.

Jobs exist now that didn’t exist when we were teens - hell, jobs exist that didn’t exist last year.

My DH job is being rapidly replaced by AI. He was made redundant on Dec 23rd.

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 29/12/2024 13:23

What sort of jobs are AI doing now?

JustCuttinAboot · 29/12/2024 13:25

Police officer
medic

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User54614664 · 29/12/2024 13:33

The obvious on is AI engineer, dataset creator or manager. Regardless of how advanced the technology gets, it will always require humans to oversee how it gets implemented in order to solve human problems. Some of these require relatively in-depth knowledge of the things that AI will recreate such as art or copywriting. So fields like visual arts or illustration will still be viable career paths but anyone going into there must be 100% aware of working with instead of competing with AI.

Medicine is also a field that will always require human doctors. AI might be able to diagnose and treat but it's hugely unlikely that a machine will be allowed a medical licence. AI is already huge in medical fields such as assisting surgeons or dentists in planning complex cases in a fraction of the time, and thus increasing their revenue. The humans who earn the right to charge for using medical AI are those who will cash out.

International relations are also relatively safe from AI. Specific areas like interpretation or translation may be entirely replaced but you can't outsource diplomacy between real countries to a machine. Similarly, all services designed to support those industries would be relatively safe. People still need food, transport, hospital care, entertainment, etc.

The biggest thing to bear in mind is children need to grow up embracing AI rather than rejecting it. If you get them started early with the basics (learning prompts, LLM, generative AI) then it will be much easier for them to find a niche later one. Do not encourage a blanket rejection of AI which some people are doing right now. Yes there are potential downsides but none of those issues are fully factually confirmed or set in stone right now. Whether the anti-AI people like it or not, the technology is coming and no amount of moaning on social media will change it.

Boycotting AI right now is basically the most suicidal act someone could do and will condemn themselves and their children to poverty and misery in the next few decades.

DreamW3aver · 29/12/2024 13:33

I wouldn't worry too much, jobs will always change. You just need to look at history, technological advances are a fact of life. There will be things that are currently not even thought of

Analysisandparalysis · 29/12/2024 13:37

Thanks everyone, some really interesting points already💡

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Stableable · 29/12/2024 13:41

Blue collar jobs. Cleaners, chefs, carers, tradespeople, service jobs and various machine operators.

Machines don't have the mechanical dexterity of human limbs.

Everything knowledge based will be twinned with AI/machines e.g. teachers, surgeon, law, accountancy, coders, writers, designers.

GoldenRadius · 29/12/2024 14:05

Extremely hard to say.

I've done a fair amount of thinking/reading/asking about this but I'm still really only guessing and I think almost everyone sensible admits they are guessing too on a 15 year horizon.

My guesses:

  • either very human skills (in-person, charisma, leadership, etc.)
  • or highly protected roles (maybe medicine, bits of law, but there are dangers here too).
  • or highly AI-relevant. Not just general tech/programming (can be easily done by AI), but specifically how to work with/on AI technologies, including how they interact with other sectors
  • and entrepreneurship. AI will drive down the return on labour (vs on capital), but it will create millions of opportunities to innovate. Be one of the innovators.
  • some adjacent sectors will be important (energy, chips, data are the obvious ones). Try to be in that space.
  • avoid anything that's just genetic manipulation of information, reliant on getting very skilled (eg don't be a translator, generic lawyer, copywriter, etc) unless you can add something human.

Think of the future as if we had discovered a huge population of very capable people, who haven't yet been fully socialised into our economy/society. You need to be one to control them, or to provide something they need, or to pick things that they cannot do (which, rather ominously, is not much).

GoldenRadius · 29/12/2024 14:07

DreamW3aver · 29/12/2024 13:33

I wouldn't worry too much, jobs will always change. You just need to look at history, technological advances are a fact of life. There will be things that are currently not even thought of

Well, maybe.

Horse-drawn carriages went away and we got better transport, life improved, etc.

But this time, are we the stable-boys headed for a nice office job, or the horses headed for the glue factory?

Biroclicker · 29/12/2024 14:15

I think the arts are a good bet. Yes ai will be a cheap way of producing artistic content but people want REAL authentic artistry, they want to see real actors on stage, hear real music etc.

Practical jobs, zoo keeper, cleaners, healthcare workers, and craftsmanship, no one is going to let an AI robot go at their hair with a pair of sharp scissors hands or restore their antique furniture with an ai driven rotary saw.

I would steer away from coding unless very keen. Low level coding jobs are all being reduced.

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