The ChatGPT Phobia: Will ChatGPT Take My Job?

Will ChatGPT take my job?

While there has been a history of chatbots for customer service, help desks, etc., ChatGPT feels different. An AI chatbot created by OpenAI, ChatGPT operates in a human-text-based conversational model that can answer questions and even admit its own mistakes. Powered by LLM (large language model), it is specifically programmed to comprehend the human language and produce responses based on around 570 GB of data. This ability to converse with humans has some in the tech industry (and beyond) fearing: Will ChatGPT take my job?

The evidence available to answer this question can be alarming.

According to Forbes, one of the top three jobs which researchers believe could be replaced by AI include Computer Programmers and Coders. This is because the AI tools ChatGPT utilizes can write code faster than a human. This feature is so in-demand that tech giants themselves are investing in OpenAI, and some tech companies are already considering the replacement of software engineers with AI. This has led to, according to the New York Times, 62% of job seekers being concerned that artificial intelligence will ruin their careers.

While self-doubt on whether ‘ChatGPT will take my job’ seeps in, a steady cadence of studies across America is contributing to the panic. A 2023 study evaluating the impact of generative A.I. on software developers ran a trial that compared an entry-level coding task performed by an AI program vs. another group that was required to complete it manually. The results concluded that those with AI completed their task 55% faster than those without. This productivity rate is alarming, to the point that there have been reports of tech workers building side businesses to protect themselves from job disruption by AI.

However, the end verdict may be more optimistic than we think 

While this innovation has set the technology world abuzz, human ingenuity will continue to be at play to ensure the ‘robot’ doesn’t win. Yes, this chatbot is powerful, but it does have its limitations and weaknesses. Therefore, we can use them to our advantage to excel rather than be intimidated.

First, AI can’t identify problems with code because it is not proficient at the critical thinking skills humans use to solve problems. Therefore, you can use ChatGPT to augment your skills and to make your job easier when facing coding challenges. Mr. Smith, a programmer who oversees an AI startup, states that he sees AI as a “tool that will end up boosting human productivity and may even help a whole new generation of people learn the art of computers.”

Next, tech leaders have been emphatically conveying that AI and machine learning skills will remain in high demand. That is still the case, so for tech professionals who have been upskilling and reskilling in those fields, there are continued opportunities for roles in AI development.

A rather new role, however, related to AI but not necessarily requiring a full suite of technical skills, has been touted as the “prompt engineer.” The “prompt engineer,” in many instances, will need to have basic coding skills and technical acumen to work with existing AI programs to do exactly what the job title says: “prompt” AI. Feeding ChatGPT information in different forms will increase its learning for more accurate outputs, but it takes professional interaction to do this. As history has shown, this is an example of how technology can spur new jobs.

Finally, because we have found that ChatGPT contains factual inaccuracies decreasing the program’s credibility and increasing the need to fact-check, human oversight is inevitable. The model has even gained a reputation for hallucinating: generating output that deviates from what is considered real or normal. According to a FORTUNE article, “OpenCage, an application programming interface that converts physical addresses into latitude and longitude coordinates on a map, has been facing disappointed customers.” It seems the company has found that some users are only signing up because of ChatGPT’s incorrect recommendation that its API is a tool to look up a phone’s location based on its number, which is not what the app does.

This also supports the need for human supervision and an increased sense of job security. Proactively, tech professionals can learn about ChatGPT features, look for areas of improvement, and create a niche to increase access to future job prospects.

Here at SSI People, we are driven by technology and use cutting-edge tech that empowers our recruiters to build relationships and find the right talent. We do this while always putting people first, creating the most powerful combination: people and technology.

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