AI and Your Future

The recent mainstream popularity of AI based tools like ChatGPT and Lensa have raised discussions and concerns about the impending impact of AI on jobs, careers, and education. Are certain lines of work going to become obsolete? Is there a point to spending years at school when software can generate in seconds what might cost you hours of research and writing?

Here are some thoughts to consider:

• The future Today is AI.

If you use any of the voice-controlled personal assistants such as Siri, you are already engaging with AI at some level. In fact, smart people like Alan Turing explored the concept of AI from as far back as the 1950s. So, it’s nothing new though it’s having a moment in mainstream media. It’s just that the learnings from past decades, and today’s computing power have come together to form the inevitability of usable AI.

• It’s just another tool.

AI will not replace humans. Nothing will. It may be able to detect patterns that no human could, but AI would not exist without the humans who have written the mathematical equations and software programmes through which it is fed stacks of data and trained to recognise patterns so it can generate results that make sense to the end user. The key thing is, there is an end user.

AI exists to solve real world problems at work and leisure. Makers of familiar tools like web browsers and document editors are stepping up and making more upfront their use of AI in their products. This should mean we can get things done faster and more efficiently. So, keep an eye out for how AI can (legitimately) enhance what you do at school, work, or at home.

• Be motivated, not afraid.

Almost every major global advancement has been met with some degree of fear or panic. The Industrial Revolution for example, was met with fear by those who saw machines as a threat to their livelihood. The printing press was feared for its ability to rapidly produce manuscripts previously held by a select few.

If you’re concerned about the potential impact of AI on your future, don’t fight the inevitable. Choose to win by equipping and preparing yourself for the future you want. If your current career or life path is not going in the direction you want, consider taking up some training, or online courses and tutorials, or joining a new programme at a college or university.

The best thing you can do so that future you will thank you, is to pause, ask yourself if you’re happy with where you are; and if you’re not, do something to change the course of your life today.

At Christ The Redeemer College, we offer a range of courses including BTEC Computing that can lead to careers in IT, data science, AI computing, and software engineering.