To ask for your help coming up with an AI-proof back up career?

[Haemagoblin]

I work in a research support role in Higher Education. I am a qualified professional, but I have a bad feeling that AI and the current financial crisis in HE, the lack of return on degrees and the general cost of living crisis does not bode well for my career in this area long term. Am currently earning c.£40k pa. Would like to maintain this if at all possible. There's a lot of talk in my sector about upskilling in areas like data analysis, coding etc - but tbh I don't know if there's 20-30 years' mileage in that either given the rate of progress in AI - may be jobs now but give it 5 years and the core tasks will be automated imo.

I'm 40, so if I make a career change I would like it to be long term and therefore AI-proof. I have a humanities degree (well 2 actually!) so outside of my (probably dying) sector, I am not an easy sell. So I'm thinking (a) what can computers never do for us? (b) what still makes decent money? and (c) what am I actually good at?

My first thought is various things around child-rearing (I love being a parent and looking after my little ones' friends). Teaching looks like a crapshoot at the moment though, plus extensive and expensive retraining required. So I wondered about child-minding/nannying. Concerns there are does it pay enough, how difficult is it running your own business/doing tax returns/dealing with government subsidy (I have always been salaried before). Also my DP works from home sometimes and does not enjoy kids as much as me (though would probably prefer it to me being unsalaried!)

Any other ideas? I mean people will always need to eat and I love to cook, but I couldn't make beautiful celebration cakes etc - I'm not at all artistic. I used to work in a pub and loved it, but not enough money in that (esp not these days as drinking and esp drinking out declines).

What else can't the machines take away from us???

Maybe it won't get you 40k but my hairdresser says she feels her job is very safe from AI.

Why would anything on a laptop be automated? My job is on a laptop but needs a lot of human problem solving

I have a friend who is a very expert computer scientist. He's avoiding AI like the plague. He is moving into different work that he thinks will last long enough to keep his career going until the rest of the world realises that AI is all bullshit.

Have you considered retraining as an electrician? They're rare as hen's teeth around here and well paid.

What do you currently research?

I’m doing a degree in radiography next year, I’m 50. even if the tech for the machines is AI driven which vid love to be part off, people still need moving, caring for and reassurance when they are facing scans.

Im moving from a 25+ year career that I’ve loved in brand, I’m a company owner and can pull 3-4 times the salary I’ll be on but that’s no use to me when my industry is going tits up!!

So my vote is healthcare, nursing, trades and chefs and maybe garden related trades.

I'd be looking at learning manual skills or a trade. Maybe decorating, plumbing, electrician, or even more creative like joinery or crafts or maybe artwork. Failing that, personal services like hairdressing, nail technician, botox/fillers, tattooist, etc., or a chef.

Basically anything other than "desk jobs" and customer service which are going to be hit very badly.

I’m a support worker for people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Lots of work around that sector - not just hands on but management and safeguarding leads also advocacy. Also teaching about PBS techniques and NAPPi. Also first aid.

I work in the operating theatre. Very low risk of AI takeover when performing surgery.

Do this. We need people who can manipulate the AI and get it to do what we want it to. Eg AI agents.

That is not what AI agents are. AI agents are AI, not humans. But at different levels with different specialisations.

Many on this thread have no clue what they're talking about.

Rather than making bland statements, how about you share your wonderful knowledge and experience?

I don't research - I'm a research support librarian, specialised in bibliometrics (which is quite identifying but hey ho 😂). So I help researchers to conduct research, evidence impact etc and help the institution to benchmark performance and analyse collaboration networks and trends. All things I think AI will be doing quite well in the not too distant future alas!

It's all bullshit. I'm really interested to learn more.....

Do you think though, longer term? Aren't there already robotics involved? And surely much of surgery is diagnostic and forming a plan based on probabilities of success and experience - this seems like it could well have a pretty substantial role for AI when it gets to that level of sophistication? Someone above said it is already starting to develop into diagnostics re imaging etc ... I just wouldn't feel so safe myself!!

Group insurance

Doesn't seem to be too close to AI any time soon (I'm hoping anyway!)

You're kidding, right? AI asks a series of questions, interprets the answers, double checks a few questions, gives a quote.

All physical trades, all/any physical work, that requires interacting with real people will be safe.

As long as other people have jobs with good enough wages to afford to pay you.

Unemployed people on the breadline don't do up their homes. They very often can't even afford to employ someone to fix things that are broken.

Anaesthetists are already on their way out...

A Comprehensive Analysis and Review of Artificial Intelligence in Anaesthesia - PMC

ANOTHER option might be to really lean in to AI, become the person at my work who really knows what it is and how it works and how to leverage it for more efficiency - that expertise is seriously lacking in HE right now

Here is your answer

Social work is a good shout as AI will mean far less paperwork.

Doesn't your university have a computer science department or something similar where they research AI? The next REF is coming up and everybody, including in those departments, is getting ready to evidence the impact of their research. If you move sideways into working with those people, you'll get to see all the stuff AI is terrible at, and what the cutting edge is working at improving, and then you'll feel a lot better! (Also, what other people said about leaning in and learning to use it. For a long long time, it's going to be AI+skilled people, not AI instead of skilled people.)

Yes robotics exists and surgeons can operate remotely from anywhere in the world. But you still need staff to admit the patients, reassure the patients, give them drugs, prepare them for surgery, organise equipment etc.

the future of healthcare is exciting though - especially when it comes to AI and diagnostics but AI cannot operate on people so I’d like to think I’m safe.

Do you work in surgery? Haven’t read the full article but seems it’s talking mostly about TIVA and BIS monitoring which has existed for some time. Still requires anaesthetists to gain IV and airway access, not to mention administering blocks etc. I am excited to see the future of healthcare though, things have certainly come a long way in recent years.