You’ve probably heard it all – the AI takeover, job-snatching robots, and a world where human work gets relegated to the sidelines. And honestly, it’s not all science fiction. As we steer further into the age of automation, certain fears around artificial intelligence are inevitable. I mean, when you have something as cool as OpenAI’s GPT-3 churning out impressive human-like text, it’s bound to ruffle a few feathers, right?
But here’s a twist. What if the work we humans do becomes not redundant, but more valuable, unique, and dare I say, premium, in this world of AI artistry? Let’s unpack that, shall we?
Picture this: the year is 1440, and the printing press has just been invented. The doom and gloom crowd is saying, “It’s the end of handwritten manuscripts! Who’d want to do that tedious work when you can just print?” Fast forward to today, and we all know how that turned out. Handwritten manuscripts didn’t die; they became precious artefacts, sought after by collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. The human touch, and the beauty of handcrafted calligraphy, became a symbol of luxury and rarity.
Jump back to the present, or better yet, the future. AI is the new printing press, threatening to mechanize the art of writing. It’s easy to predict doom and gloom, but is that the only narrative of this story?
Our friend GPT-3, with all its natural language processing capabilities, is getting great at creating content. AI algorithms are becoming more sophisticated, digesting colossal amounts of data, and churning out content that’s tough to differentiate from human-produced text. But as they flood the market, saturating it with AI-produced content, we might see an unusual effect: the human touch in writing could start to hold more weight, more value, and more…luxury.
Now, you might be thinking, “Why would that happen?” Here’s why.
The art of writing isn’t just about stringing together coherent sentences; it’s a deeply human process, touched by our individual experiences, perceptions, and emotions. It’s that personal touch, that individuality in expression, that AI, no matter how advanced, cannot replicate. Just as a printed book can never replace the charm of a handwritten manuscript, AI-written content might never replace the allure of a human-written piece.
But wait, there’s more! The second part of this story lies in our inherent appreciation for the effort and thought put into handcrafted items. There’s a reason why handcrafted pottery or bespoke suits command a premium price – it’s the human element, the labour of love, and the individuality of the product. Similarly, knowing that an article or blog post was carefully crafted by a human might add an extra layer of value, especially in an era saturated with AI-generated content.
But does all this make generative AI the ‘bad guy’? Not really. AI has immense potential. It can take over bulk content creation, and repetitive tasks, allowing us humans to spend more time crafting thoughtful, high-value, and creative content.
Remember that 2018 McKinsey & Company study? The one that suggested that while up to 60% of jobs could have 30% of their tasks automated, less than 5% of jobs could be fully automated. That study provides us with a peek into the future – a future where AI changes the nature of jobs, rather than replacing them altogether.
So, my fellow professionals, leaders, and thinkers, let’s flip the AI narrative. AI doesn’t necessarily spell doom for human creativity; it changes the framework and shifts the goalposts. As AI takes care of the routine, we get to channel our creativity into crafting something unique, something inherently human, something…premium.