AI and the Future of Work
How AI can change tasks within jobs, create work around AI systems and reduce demand for some work; why human judgment, creativity, empathy and problem-solving remain useful
What a learner can do afterwards
- Name two jobs whose tasks can change with AI and describe two roles that support AI systems
- Explain how creativity, empathy and problem-solving help people work with AI
- Describe an AI-assisted task and a human responsibility within a familiar job
1 · Read
You have compared people and machines. A job usually has several tasks. AI can change or take over some tasks and create work building and checking AI systems. It may reduce demand for some work. What happens depends on the tool, the workplace and people's choices. A change in one task does not tell us exactly how many jobs will remain.
Imagine a shop uses AI to recognize products at checkout. Cashiers still help customers and handle mistakes. A checkout that only reads barcodes need not use AI. Work around AI includes data labelers, who mark training examples, and AI testers, who check systems for errors. These roles support AI; labeling and testing themselves are not new activities.
AI may flag patterns in a medical scan, but the doctor checks the result and considers the patient. A teacher may review AI-suggested quiz marks before helping pupils. A farmer may compare watering advice with the soil and weather. These examples change a task within a job. The person still has responsibilities, and the advice may need correction.
Creativity helps people develop ideas for a purpose. Empathy helps them listen and care for others. Problem-solving helps them notice errors and decide what to change. AI can generate stories and pictures or respond to clues about feelings. People still need to judge whether its suggestions fit the audience and situation, and take responsibility for their decisions.
AI can change tasks within jobs. People still need to check advice, care for others and make decisions that fit the situation.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.