The Secret List of (soon to be) Extinct Jobs ———sincerely, AI

Summary

The video script discusses the significant impact of AI on the job market, referencing a study on AI automation's effects on various jobs. It highlights that while AI could replace millions of jobs, particularly in higher-wage sectors, it also brings opportunities for new roles and industries. Historical examples of general purpose technologies like the printing press, steam engine, and internet illustrate how disruptive innovations have historically led to societal and labor force advancements. The script emphasizes the importance of embracing change, learning, and adapting to harness AI's power for positive outcomes, suggesting that technology itself is neutral and its use depends on human choices.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The biggest risk of AI is the disruption to jobs, with AI potentially replacing millions of jobs.
• 📚 A paper from the University of Pennsylvania and OpenAI analyzes the impact of AI automation on different jobs, focusing on large language models' effect on the US Labor Force.
• 📉 Higher-wage jobs are more exposed to AI automation in the current wave compared to previous automation waves that impacted lower-wage jobs more.
• 👥 Jobs and tasks are assessed by human raters and AI like GPT-4 to determine the level of AI impact.
• 👨‍🏫 Historically, general purpose technologies (GPTs) have caused widespread usage, continuous improvement, complimentary innovations, and massive labor force disruption.
• 🚂 Examples of past GPTs include the printing press, steam engine, electricity, and the internet, each causing significant changes and job displacements.
• 📈 Despite job losses, GPTs have improved the quality of life and created new job opportunities, such as railway workers, electrical engineers, and software engineers.
• 🔍 The research predicts that jobs like interpreters, translators, survey researchers, poets, and public relations specialists will be highly impacted by AI.
• 💡 Jobs requiring science and critical thinking skills are less likely to be impacted by AI, while programming and writing skills show a higher susceptibility to AI impact.
• 🚀 New opportunities in AI are emerging, such as prompt engineering and AI development, empowering individuals to innovate across various industries.
• 🌐 Technology itself is neutral; it's up to us to decide how it's used and to create opportunities for positive impact.

Q & A

Who is Andrew and what is his significance in the context of AI?

Andrew is a globally recognized leader in AI, the founder of deeplearning.ai, CEO of Landing AI, General Partner at AI Fund, Chairman and Co-founder of Coursera, and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University's Computer Science Department. His significance lies in his extensive knowledge and contributions to the field of AI.

What is the potential impact of AI on jobs according to the transcript?

The transcript suggests that AI could have a significant impact on jobs, with the potential to replace millions of jobs, including 4.8 million American jobs, as per a tool mentioned in the video.

What does the paper from the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with Open AI aim to analyze?

The paper aims to analyze the impact of AI automation, specifically large language models, on the US Labor Force. It seeks to understand how different jobs are affected by AI and the level of exposure to automation.

How does the current wave of AI automation differ from previous automation in terms of job exposure?

Unlike the previous wave of automation that mostly affected lower-wage jobs, the current wave of AI automation seems to impact higher-wage jobs more, as these jobs have tasks that are more exposed to AI automation.

What is the role of human raters and GPT-4 in assessing the level of AI impact on jobs?

Human raters and GPT-4 are used to assess the level of automation impact on jobs by evaluating the tasks associated with each job and determining how much AI can influence or replace those tasks.

Can you provide an example of how the paper analyzes the impact of AI on a specific job?

The paper takes the example of acute care nurses, whose work activities include operating medical instruments and preparing medical supplies. These tasks are then evaluated by human raters and GPT-4 to determine the extent of AI's potential impact.

What are general purpose technologies (GPTs) and how do they affect society and the labor force?

General purpose technologies (GPTs) are groundbreaking technologies characterized by widespread usage, continuous improvement, generation of complementary innovations, and massive disruption to both the labor force and society as a whole. Examples include the printing press, steam engine, electricity, and the internet.

How did the invention of the printing press impact the labor force?

The invention of the printing press led to a significant increase in the availability of written text, which in turn led to the Renaissance, the Reformation, and numerous revolutions. However, it also caused displacement in the labor force, as there was less need for scribes, manuscript copiers, and those involved in decorating books and producing parchment and vellum.

What are some of the jobs that are predicted to be most highly impacted by AI according to the research?

The research predicts that jobs such as interpreters and translators, survey researchers, poets, lyricists, creative writers, animal scientists, and public relations specialists will be most highly impacted by AI, with exposure levels ranging from 66.7% to 76%.

How does the importance of science and critical thinking skills relate to the exposure to AI automation?

The importance of science and critical thinking skills are strongly negatively associated with exposure to AI automation, meaning that occupations requiring these skills are less likely to be impacted by current large language models.

What opportunities does AI present for new job creation and industry improvement?

AI presents opportunities for new job creation and industry improvement by enabling the development of technologies on top of AI, empowering people to innovate and improve across various industries, including small businesses like pizza shops, which can benefit from AI-powered tools to save costs and improve operations.

What is Andrew's advice for those who want to be part of the AI revolution?

Andrew advises people to embrace change, learn, adapt, and harness the power of AI technology. He encourages individuals to be proactive, learn how to use AI to improve industries, and influence policy makers on how these technologies should be used.