In 1900, 40% of the U.S. workforce worked in agriculture-related jobs and fed 76 million Americans. Today only 1.3% of the U.S. workforce are employed in agriculture but they feed 340 million Americans. What happened? Of course, it was technology that moved more than 38% of the U.S. workforce out of agriculture. The transition came about as a result of mechanical devices and automation that replaced wooden plows and manual irrigation. Refrigeration and transportation improvements made it possible to grow produce in remote locations of the country and still get to supermarket shelves. Amazingly, the number and the variety of jobs only grew as a result of this technological revolution. Young children could leave their parents’ farm and go to schools. They moved on to studying in universities and to starting the industrial revolution that followed. Women could now gain education and improve their chances of becoming equal participants in society. Technology eliminated jobs but also created new and different ones. The good news is that AI is likely to do the same for the U.S. today. The bad news is that unless you’re on the right side of the revolution, you could be marginalized to the wayside of this technological highway.
We predict that not only will we have more jobs, but this time it will happen more quickly and in a much more dramatic fashion than anything we have experienced in our history.
In this article, we will cover many industries and professions and analyze the effect of AI on them. We’ll also explain, at a high level, what you need to watch out for career-wise 20 years out.
When will the impact hit you?
The answer to this question depends greatly on how long you have until retirement and the industry you’re in.
If you have fewer than 5 years to retirement you’re probably safe from any major changes in your work. We’ll see changes in almost every profession, but most traditional jobs are unlikely to be eliminated in 5 years. Many companies have already started experimenting with AI, but major investments are typically taking more time to implement.
According to Wealth Daily, the global AI market is valued at $142.3 billion as of 2023, up from $92 billion in 2022. So, investment is huge, but its fruits aren’t likely to manifest their full potential for a few years.
If, however, you are in the early stages of your career, it’s time to plan for it so that you don’t end up on the wrong side of this historical change. You do not want to develop a career in an industry that will change in a way that will make your skills obsolete.
For example, if you want to work in marketing and advertising, you should assume that in a few years this industry will be completely dominated by AI.
What should you study?
The[CK1] first step is to get acquainted with AI tools such as ChatGPT. If you’re not familiar with ChatGPT or similar AI tools such as MidJourney (Visual AI), you should start exploring them today. These tools are simple to use but they still require some practice. For example, you need to ask the bot questions in a particular way so it will understand your questions and produce high-quality answers. Prompt engineering courses are available through sites such as Coursera and Udemy. You will need to do your own research and choose courses, mostly online, to get ahead of the game.
To[CK2] go deeper into AI, you will need to explore your interest in this rapidly changing landscape. We recommend using ChatGPT or Google’s Bard to ask for information about the future of your industry.
Study your current industry or the industry you are planning a career in, to fully understand the best path for you. For example, if you are an advertising account executive study the new AI tools that are being offered today to improve advertising productivity. There is no doubt that your organization is already thinking about the impact of AI, so become an expert and an evangelist of AI in your own organization.
Planning a satisfying and a successful career is all about passion. You may have passion in your current job and company, but will you retain that passion when AI changes your profession and company?
It’s time to look deeper into such potential changes and figure out where your new passion can be found. Maybe AI can help.