Work and Wealth Watch: Fearing job loss because of AI

Up next on MaltaCEOs.mt’s Work and Wealth Watch series where Money Coach Luca Caruana gives his expert responses to all your questions related to money, work and wealth. Want to see your own questions answered on MaltaCEOs.mt? Send your questions on [email protected]

Dear Luca,

I am a Content Manager and have been working in content writing for the past 15 years—yes, even before it became popular when businesses started discovering the importance of not just having a content strategy for SEO purposes, but also improving the brand through good writing.

The reason I am sending you this is that I am very concerned about the rise of AI and its potential to make my job completely irrelevant and unnecessary. I hear a lot about efforts to control AI development, but to be blunt, I don’t believe any of it. One way or another, AI will continue to advance. In its current state, ChatGPT already does a lot. It still needs enhancement to reach my level, but in a year, I have seen it improve so much that I wouldn’t be surprised if in another year or two, it will be as good as any content writer out there.

Some may not agree with this, but I know many people in the same job as mine who share this fear. In such a case, what, in your opinion, would make sense for me to ensure that I am not caught off-guard? Am I right in panicking this much?

Thanks for your help.

Worried Content Writer

Luca Responds

Dear Worried Content Writer,

Thanks for being brave and writing this message to express your concern. I see myself as a very practical person, especially when it comes to advancing technologies and their impact on current businesses.

I believe that the shifts we’re experiencing now, not just because of AI but also due to other advancements, signify that we are in a phase where some industries may be needed less, while new ones will emerge.

Does it mean that your job will become non-existent? Not at all. As a writer myself, I still value the human element in writing. Will ChatGPT or other AI software ever reach the quality of the human element? Maybe not completely, but I dare say enough to convince companies and business people to use this technology more and hence employ fewer people.

Considering these scenarios (although I don’t think they will happen in the coming weeks or months), I believe it’s a good idea to start analysing your talents and look for ways to monetise them. Maybe start a side-hustle if you find the time—this can mean not only extra income but also another job to turn to if things go south.

I also recommend enhancing your emergency fund (if you have one). Having a strong cash base gives you more time to choose a job if you are not content with the offers you receive.

Finally, find ways to turn AI to your favour. If certain tasks in the past took you two hours and you can now do them in one hour, don’t resist this. Whenever technology was resisted in the past (the rise of factories during the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the internet in the early 2000s come to mind), it turned out poorly. In my view, technology can be stalled, but only for a while.

Warm regards,

Luca,

The Money Coach, from the Money Coaching Hub

CEO & Founder of Monipal