7 September 2024
Amy Lindgren
Second Sunday Series – Editor’s Note: This is the first of 12 monthly columns on AI and work, which will appear the second Sunday of each month, from September through August.
How does that saying go? That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger? Hope so.
For my own sake, because I’m embarking on a learning journey in which my mistakes and misunderstandings will be very publicly displayed. And for the sake of us all, because what I’ll be writing about is artificial intelligence, or AI for short — the rapidly evolving technology that has the exciting and equally terrifying potential to upend our lives.
Artificial intelligence is the subject of my next Second Sunday series, the forum in which I examine a topic in-depth over the course of 12 monthly columns. In the past, I’ve used the series to focus on career issues affecting older workers, workers in recovery, career-changers, business-starters, and individuals with disabilities, among others.
In this series, I’m switching the focus from specific worker groups to a topic that affects all workers. My plan is to explore artificial intelligence from a variety of perspectives: How it can be used by job seekers, how employers are leveraging the technology in selecting candidates, how workers could be impacted on the job, and what career opportunities AI might bring about.
Whew. The subject is bigger than 12 articles or 1,200 for that matter. But that doesn’t excuse any of us from at least trying to figure this out. Here we go.
An AI primer
A good place to start is with basic terminology.
• Artificial Intelligence: A branch of computer science focused on building the capability of machines or computer programs to perform tasks which normally depend on human intelligence. Those could include solving problems, recognizing patterns, making decisions from data, and other things humans have been uniquely able to do.
• AI: The abbreviation for artificial intelligence. It is always capitalized (both letters) and may or may not include periods after each capital letter.
• Generative AI: A subset of artificial intelligence. Generative AI products are trained on large datasets, enabling them to generate new content such as reports, poems, music — and résumés and cover letters.
• Hallucinations: The common vernacular for when your generative AI, um, over-generates. That is, when it makes things up.
• Ais: Pale-throated sloths found in the rainforests of northern South America. It’s best not to write ai when you mean AI.
That’s probably enough vocabulary for now. There are dozens of terms and products to know about; we’ll bump into a few each month while exploring new areas.
Why is AI so exciting?
If you’re an optimist, or even just a pragmatist who values time and human energy, it’s hard not to start humming with interest at each new application of artificial intelligence. The ability to support human creativity while reducing productivity barriers could open doors we’ve only imagined walking through.
For example, picture workers with neurodivergence, or those with brain injuries, or any other challenge that makes it difficult to put thoughts into a coherent order on paper. Now picture the same individuals generating first drafts by providing AI software with a few key words.
Who knows how many people have been locked out of communication processes that could now be available to them? Not to mention how many voices we haven’t heard in our broader culture that we may benefit from in the future.
Why is AI also terrifying?
If you’ve seen the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” you already know why we’re scared of artificial intelligence. Not to spoil the ending on this 1968 classic, but let’s just say it doesn’t go well for the astronauts when HAL, the computer, takes over the spaceship.
While the possibility shouldn’t be dismissed, being overrun by intelligent computers is not likely imminent. More pressing issues range from the super-practical (Will AI eliminate jobs? Will it cause errors, such as medical mistakes?) to the philosophical and existential: Will AI alter what it is to be human, by changing the very process of creativity? We don’t have these answers, which is one reason to proceed with caution.
Getting ready
Whether you’re excited or alarmed by this evolution, it’s happening. The best thing now is to learn more about AI so you can benefit — and protect yourself — from its power.
Next up: Meet me here in a month and we’ll explore how employers are using this technology for hiring.
(Also — if you see mistakes in these columns, do tell me. We’re on this learning curve together.)
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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at [email protected].