AI is not taking over our jobs
Unless we want them to. In the past few decades automated robots have improved efficiency in various industries by replacing people at the production lines and ChatGPT can now do or enhance the work of students and workers alike. However, it doesn't mean technology will eventually need to replace all of us.
“AI design will allow creatives to concentrate on their real jobs.”
reportedly said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
Not just the creative industry can find a great source of inspiration in AI generated content, but all industries even as of right now, let it be marketing or UX copy, a professional essay or design and illustration or feedback on a business plan. What really happened is more people can get over the writers blockage, speed up complex problem-solving, discover their creative skills or trade generic stock images for those generated by Dall-e, Midjouney, Stable Diffusion, and similar AI. It is similar to working with a colleague - think of either a junior or a supervisor. Juniors have amazing ideas, fresh perspectives, but usually seniors need to review and polish the outcome, sending it back for refinement before it gets published. And supervisors may point areas in our project that needs improvement, they might even give hints how to do it, but will they take our jobs? Not at all. They are great colleagues, they inspire and help us learn and take many tasks off of our shoulders. AI will work the same way, as a private mentor and trainee for all of us.
Technology can be a great colleague, or a friend
Even designers are exploring different collaboration models with AI and creating Figma plugins to help them be more efficient in their day-to-day tasks. More and more plugins help create software code, design a screen based on text command or evaluate a students' essay for university. The output is great as a base line, but we can enhance is with our curation, unique perspectives, emotional intelligence, empathy, values, reading between the lines .... so the output is going to be exceptional when you select the best version from the multiple generated outputs and you work with it, iterate it, refine it, polish it and bring it to life. With AI, you can definitely get a tireless assistant who can help you at every step of the way, patching up your skill gaps, as long as you know how to collaborate with them. You can win a work-friend who never gets upset, never feels insulted about what you say, will always be there to listen and never forgets to invite you to the party. Technology is like that at work. They can have a special role and place in the team, they might even be cute, as long as we expect the right things from them, know their strengths and weaknesses.