Journalist Ira Glass, known for hosting the NPR show “This American Life,” recently highlighted a sentiment that resonates with many in the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence: feeling unprepared for the rapid pace of AI development. In 2024, Glass dedicated an entire episode to the phrase “Unprepared for what has already happened,” coined by science journalist Alex Steffen. This phrase encapsulates the anxiety that many professionals feel as they grapple with the notion that their hard-earned skills may be rendered obsolete by AI advancements.
This concern is echoed across various sectors, from law firms to government agencies, where highly educated professionals express unease about their future roles in an economy increasingly dominated by generative AI. These AI systems can perform tasks quickly and cost-effectively, tasks that many people currently rely on for their livelihoods.
The Human Impact of AI Advancements
In Cade Metz’s 2022 book, “Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World,” the personal impact of AI on individuals is vividly illustrated. Metz recounts the story of Chris Brockett, a veteran Microsoft researcher, who experienced a panic attack upon realizing that AI could perform tasks he had mastered over decades. Brockett’s experience underscores a common fear: the possibility of becoming irrelevant in a technology-driven future.
Similarly, MIT physicist Max Tegmark, in his 2018 book “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” questions whether AI will eventually surpass human abilities that define self-worth and job market value. This sense of uncertainty is shared by many, including Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, who admits to feeling threatened by the very AI systems he helps develop.
“We’re seeing more AI-related products and advancements in a single day than we saw in a single year a decade ago,” a Silicon Valley product manager noted in 2023.
AI as a Catalyst for Positive Change
Despite these fears, labor economist David Autor offers a more optimistic perspective. In 2024, Autor published a research paper titled “Applying AI to Rebuild Middle-Class Jobs,” suggesting that AI, if managed correctly, could democratize access to higher-value tasks traditionally reserved for elite professionals like doctors and lawyers. This shift could improve job quality for workers without college degrees and reduce income inequality.
Autor argues that the future should be seen as a design problem rather than a prediction exercise. He emphasizes that we have significant control over the future through the investments and structures we create today.
“The future is not something where we just wait and see what happens… We have enormous control over the future in which we live,” Autor stated in a Bloomberg News interview.
Preparing for the AI Future
As educators and professionals grapple with the implications of AI, there is a growing emphasis on proactive engagement. In AI courses and workshops, the message is clear: there is still time for deliberate action. Although the concept of neural networks dates back to 1943, we are still in the early stages of generative AI. This presents an opportunity for individuals to adapt and thrive in an AI-enhanced world.
Ultimately, the AI revolution is not a race with winners and losers but a starting line for all. With thoughtful planning and strategic investments, society can harness AI’s potential to create a more equitable and prosperous future for everyone.
