How Much Intellectual Capital Do You Want to Invest in AI? #1
Perhaps the real question is: how much intellectual property do you want to give away to AI?
I’ve been thinking a great deal about how AI has taken over the emerging tech world. Just 15 years ago, investors didn’t want to touch AI – it was taboo.
Today, AI, automation, and robotics are starting to take over solid paying jobs of everyday people, and these people are facing the hard truth of losing their livelihoods.
You may think, your job is protected because you are creative, a problem solver, and the go-to expert perhaps even in your industry.
But here is the thing: can you create a task list of what you need to do in a day? Well soon, more often than not, those “tasks” will no longer be yours to do – and, not because you’re getting a promotion or hiring an assistant.
I believe there will continue to be jobs that are harder for machines to take over, but the more intellectual capital you give it, the closer you might get to becoming dispensable.
Take the tech industry, for example. Humans are teaching AI to improve its own work, and that’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? The more you feed AI your knowledge, the more it learns from you. So, have you considered how much intellectual property you really want to give away?
Here are some jobs that seem pretty safe from AI over the next five to ten years, but could AI eventually take them, too?
1. AI/Machine Learning Engineers
AI can’t design or improve itself. Engineers are needed to build and train AI systems.
2. Software Developers
Writing code requires creativity and understanding what users need, things AI can’t fully grasp.
3. Cybersecurity Experts
AI can spot problems, but you are needed to handle the strategy and decision-making for security.
4. Product Managers
They need to understand customers and lead teams. It’s a mix of creativity and leadership, which AI can’t replace.
5. UX/UI Designers
Designing user-friendly experiences takes empathy and creativity, which AI can’t replicate.
6. Data Scientists
AI helps analyze data, but you are needed to make sense of it and find patterns that matter.
7. AI/Tech Ethics Experts
You are needed to decide how AI should be used ethically, which AI itself can’t figure out.
8. AI Trainers
AI needs you to train it by labeling data and correcting mistakes.
9. Tech Entrepreneurs
Building new businesses and coming up with fresh ideas requires your creativity and vision.
10. Cloud Architects
Designing cloud systems requires understanding both the tech and the business needs—something AI can’t do alone.
11. Tech Educators
Teaching complex topics and understanding how students learn requires your touch.
12. Creative Roles (Designers, Writers, Video Editors)
Making something original, like stories or designs, is still something you can do well.
Why These Jobs Are Currently Safe from AI:
Creativity: AI can analyze patterns but can’t yet think authentically and creatively the way you can.
Problem Solving: Many tech roles require pivoting unexpectedly based on human interactions—something AI struggles with – today, at least.
Emotional Intelligence: Empathy and fully understanding human behavior are areas AI can’t replicate well.
Innovation: Creating new ideas, products, and systems is a skill that comes from human intuition – this is still a uniquely human skill.
So for now, jobs that rely on your creativity, decision-making, and understanding of complex human problems are still pretty safe from AI. If you’re in or interested in tech, these are the roles that are likely to be around for more years to come. But, what happens when AI gets better at those things?
#AI #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Ethics #ArtificialIntelligence