30/03/2025
OPINION | "Is My Job Future-Proof" A Question Prompted by the Evolution of AI
Artisan, a company selling artificially intelligent (AI) employees to other companies, offering a more alternative futuristic approach to traditional employment. With the rise of AI in society, this can be seen as increasingly common as companies explore this new type of employee. Artisan’s goal is to change societal norms by recruiting AI employees rather than human employees to maximize efficiency.
The company strives to do the long and tedious work of humans, so that humans may utilize their efforts into something that the company thinks can be greater. This stance that Artisan has taken on the job market with their non-traditional approach has the high potential of having a major instability in the job market, which negatively impacts society, as not only do humans become heavily reliant on AI, but it also creates a world where individuals struggle to be able to make a living for themselves.
With this, there are three major issues companies similar to Artisan have this approach, these issues include but are not limited to, degrees that individuals have studied 3+ years for, and accumulated debt can possibly become redundant as they are not able to get a job, high unemployment rates for people, which then affects the current living crisis, and then the increased mental health issues, as well as the increased loss of unique and diverse talents that can be presented within companies that have humans rather than AI.
The adoption of AI in the workplace can be considered a smart financial investment, as it eliminates the need for traditional salaries, leaving companies with more funds and potentially providing a competitive advantage in the market (Terra, 2024). With this, AI is perceived as a beneficial investment for most companies. However, this raises concerns about the importance as well as how necessary university and college degrees will become in the future, potentially labeling them as obsolete. Students like myself hearing the possibility of degrees becoming obsolete can lead students to toss and turn in self-doubt on the decision of whether or not they should even continue studying after high school, then creating doubts on whether their career of choice is worth pursuing.
With that self-doubt, it has the possibility to create problems in students' decisions about their education and future careers. Many students may feel anxious or uncertain, fearing that the degrees they are excited to pursue could become irrelevant, ultimately wasting their time and effort (Young, 2024).
As a student already facing the tough decision of choosing a degree, it has now been made even harder with the soon implementation of AI employees that is threatening not only my future career but also others by making them redundant. Furthermore, this confusion as well as the uncertainty created by AI implementation may affect students' motivation and academic performance. Some might adopt a poor mindset, thinking, "If this won't lead to a future career, then it doesn't matter," which could lead to declining grades and a lack of drive. This domino effect risks both current educational efforts as well as students' future aspirations and careers.
The rise of AI implementation for jobs in the future poses significant challenges related to unemployment, affecting not only students contemplating tertiary education after high school but also those currently employed in roles that are increasingly being taken over by AI. Cecchi-Dimeglio (2023) estimates that AI could impact around 300 million jobs globally, representing approximately 9.1% of all employment.
This has the potential to create widespread unemployment, with intense consequences for society. As Young (2024) states, high unemployment rates lead to an uproar of issues, many of which stem from reduced household income. These challenges include increased stress and strain on families, often forcing them to live paycheck to paycheck, and limiting their disposable income, which then affects their ability to maintain an adequate standard of living.
On a broader scale, these issues in relation to unemployment have an effect beyond individual households, negatively impacting the economy as a whole. For countries like the Philippines, where the economy is already considered fragile, the implementation or even the widespread replacement of human workers with AI could have severe consequences, further diminishing the country's economic stability and growth, and leading to a nationwide living crisis.
The job market has become a minefield making it more difficult for individuals to find workplaces that are taking the traditional approach by hiring humans rather than falling into the newly attempted societal norm companies like Artisan are trying to make. This also creates uncertainties for future college graduates due to various factors that must be carefully considered before choosing a career.
These include how much the job is in demand, salary, and, a newly added factor that must be questioned and debated is whether or not the job is considered to be future-proof. As a student myself, who is aspiring to pursue a career that falls within the "danger zone" of jobs potentially being replaced by AI, I frequently find myself juggling many questions in my mind like: "Is this career still worth pursuing?" "Will any alternative career I choose be future-proof?" "If I pursue a degree in this field, will it be a waste of time?" "Will another career choice provide enough income to support me, my future family, and expenses?", "Are my current studies even worth the effort?"
These questions contribute to a large increase in anxiety, further affecting already stressed students and posing a possible risk to their mental health. Beyond the individual impacts, the rapid widespread implementation of AI also threatens to diminish the diversity, creativity, and unique talents that individuals bring to their chosen professions. This loss of human contribution could dull the vibrancy of the world and disrupt society's routine, possibly making society very sad and seen as rather dystopian.
While it can be seen that AI is a more efficient and relevant approach for the future, matching up with society's perceived trajectory, its implementation as a replacement for human workers can cause significant consequences. Introducing AI into the workforce could disrupt society, potentially leading to a challenging and uncertain future for most, if not all. Looking beyond the challenges of securing a job in the future, there is also a risk of a quick increase in mental health issues among younger students. These students may feel pressured early on to navigate an already difficult decision, which is choosing a career, and then having that being made even more complicated by the need to consider whether their chosen path will remain viable, or if their chosen path will be taken over by the quick implementation of AI.
References
Cecchi-Dimeglio, P. (2023, July 28). How AI Is Shifting The World Of Employment. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/paolacecchi-dimeglio/2023/07/28/how-ai-is-shifting-the-wrld-of-employment/
Picardo, E. (2023, August 21). How The Unemployment Rate Affects Everybody. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/10/unemployment-rate-get-real.asp
Terra, J. (2024, April 18). What is Sustainable AI? Definition, Significance, and Examples.
Caltech -.
https://pg-p.ctme.caltech.edu/blog/ai-ml/what-is-sustainable-ai-significance-examples
Young, J. R. (2024, February 13). AI Is Disrupting Professions That Require College Degrees.
How Should Higher Ed Respond? EdSurge.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-02-13-ai-is-disrupting-professions-that-require-college-derees-how-should-higher-ed-respond
