AI won't replace you, ever! Here's why.
As chatbots and AI increasingly replace knowledge work, there will be a "craft scarcity effect," where we'll all place greater value on individuals dedicated to perfecting their crafts amidst technological advancements.
Here are a few examples:
1. Watchmakers:
Handcrafted watches have regained prominence despite the prevalence of mass-produced ones.
Renowned watchmaker Roger Smith, mentored by the late George Daniels, creates exclusive timepieces with a waiting list and prices exceeding £150,000 each.
2. Furniture Designers:
Mastery in crafting bespoke furniture has elevated the earnings of designers like Joseph Walsh.
His sculptural pieces, highly valued and in demand, command prices surpassing $100,000.
3. Financial Advisors:
Personalized financial guidance provided by advisors outshines automated platforms.
Figures like Ray Dalio, with his influential book "Principles: Life and Work," demonstrate the irreplaceable value of tailored advice and experience.
4. Fitness Trainers:
In a world flooded with generic fitness apps, trainers offering customized workout plans, such as Luke Zocchi, retain high demand due to their tailored approach and expertise.
5. Artisanal Bakers:
Amidst commercial bakeries, artisanal bakers like Chad Robertson stand out, drawing crowds with their dedication to traditional baking methods and quality loaves.
These examples illustrate how human expertise and dedication hold significant value, unattainable by automated systems. As AI becomes more prevalent, individuals embracing craftsmanship in various fields - whether as developers, designers, writers, artists, engineers, or researchers - will continue to be in high demand due to the unique touch they bring to their work.
As a UI/UX designer myself, I know what I could translate into a design will never be the same as giving some AI a prompt and expecting an equally authentic design as a result. Both will have their place, but one is not the same as the other.
AI may streamline processes, but it cannot replicate the human essence, emotions, and imagination infused into products or services. So, don't let the rise of AI discourage you from pursuing your passion. Instead, consider how your expertise and dedication to craftsmanship can make you a sought-after professional in an increasingly automated world.
AI won't replace everything and take everyone's job, obviously.
But let's face it, knowledge workers are in for the same kind of revolution that hit workers when machines were built to replace factory workers.
Sure there's still a lot of room for human crafted goods, but a lot of workers have been replaced in the factories by machines.
As for knowledge workers, right now you can't completely replace a UI/UX designer or a software engineer, but you can already do tasks on your own with some AI that would have required a specialist a few years ago.
Sorry for the shameless plug here, but i used chatgpt to generate the images on the landing page of my app (iambecomememe dot xyz).
It took me a weekend and a few cents of my subscription, and i love the result.
I don't think a human specialist could have done a better/faster/cheaper job.
It could've done a better but the cost would've been 100x probably, and it would've taken a week maybe, at least.
So yeah, human craftsmanship still is important, but thins are moving fast and people should be ready to adapt.
The images on your site are great.
While technology undoubtedly offers convenience and efficiency, the "craft scarcity effect" is simply a romanticized notion crafted by those who fear being replaced by automation. The truth is, automated systems often surpass human capabilities in terms of speed, accuracy, and consistency. So, instead of clinging onto this idea of craftsmanship as a saving grace, let's embrace the advancements in technology and focus on acquiring skills that complement these innovations, ensuring we remain relevant in an ever-evolving world.
I disagree. The craft scarcity effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon that started since the beginning of the post-industrial revolution. That demand is than met with a reinvestment back into the craft. Without demand, those crafts would've long ago died out. Even performance wise, there are plenty of automated processes many decades old that still don't beat the quality humans can produce. That's why most of us are advocating for synergy between AI and human capabilities. That's how innovation can truly be embraced. It will naturally create demand for new skills built on top of current ones in an ever evolving process.
Well, I understand what you're trying to say, but I'm not entirely convinced that the craft scarcity effect is all that great, because let's face it, there are plenty of things that used to be done by hand that are now done by machines and they seem to be working just fine.
I agree that automation has brought a lot of positive things to society. That's why I also never said that there's no room for it. In fact, if we want to improve society, it's a requirement. The point I'm making is that both can co-exist and both speak to different objectives and interested parties.
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Feel good post in these uncertain times. I think AI will help these profession do their jobs more efficiently but not replace them
You will find that usually it's the people with skin in the game who advocate for replacement of people, as they stand to gain from it. Luckily, automation is not new to humankind. Very rarely if ever has it wiped out specialized skills. Otherwise, the oldest profession in the world, toolmakers (for the purpose of cutting meat) would've died out in the 18th century. Yet today, toolmakers are still thriving and most top chefs have their knives custom made by hand by specialized toolmakers.
These jobs are all highly skilled and/or steeped in the human element.
If your job is writing blogs, marketing copy or any other such semi-generic written content, AI will definitely replace you.
AI's incredible advancements have undoubtedly transformed numerous industries, yet the belief that it will entirely replace individuals is misguided. Here's why:
Human Creativity: AI lacks the innate ability to replicate human creativity, innovation, and emotional intelligence. These traits remain distinctly human and are fundamental in various fields.
Complex Decision-Making: While AI excels in processing vast amounts of data, complex decision-making often requires contextual understanding, ethical considerations, and intuition—areas where humans excel.
Empathy and Connection: Human interactions are deeply rooted in empathy and emotional connection. AI, despite its advancements, can't genuinely replicate the empathy needed in roles like counseling, caregiving, or mentorship.
Adaptability and Learning: Humans possess the capacity to adapt, learn, and evolve in ways AI cannot. Our ability to embrace change, learn from experiences, and apply knowledge creatively is unparalleled.
Ethical and Moral Judgment: AI operates based on algorithms and data but lacks the moral compass and ethical judgment that guide human decision-making, especially in sensitive or nuanced situations.
The synergy between AI and humans is more promising. AI augments human capabilities, streamlines tasks, and offers insights, but it's our unique human qualities that ensure our irreplaceability. The collaboration between human ingenuity and AI's capabilities is where the true potential lies, shaping a future where innovation and humanity intersect.
Agree with most of your points - except financial advisors. In my opinion, this will definitely be replaced by AI in the near future. Even more so, since there are no 'mainstream' offers when it comes to this
When we are born, we don't know how to do anything; we just breathe and eat.
All we know about our creativity and humanity is a "big dataset" and 30 years of reinforcement learning (if we take a fully realized human as an example).
ChatGPT hasn't had 30 years to learn and hasn't had such an abundance and variety of information compared to any human.
AI winter is coming because almost everything has been squeezed out of transformers (like ChatGPT). Still, globally, the only thing distinguishing a top, unique human creative specialist from AI models is the computational ability and dataset size.
What is the difference between a good designer and a mediocre one? Extensive experience.
ChatGPT is more intelligent than some of my acquaintances and can replace them right now, despite their life experience. And one should also realize that ChatGPT is not the crown of evolution but only the first mass product.
So, as always, some professions will disappear, and some will appear.
PS: As far as I know, Ray Dalio has and is actively using AI and automation and is obsessed with classifying information, which made his company successful.
I hope so Archie! Agreeing the most, I really loved this approach!
Thank you! As long as there is human determination, craftsmen in all trades will continue to thrive.
Great work, Archie! This is an eye-opening article, full of examples that clearly demonstrate the value of taking the time to hone and perfect a craft. It's reassuring to know that, despite all the advances in AI, hard work and tenacity still thrive in our current society!
Thank you! I was just tired about hearing all the AI anxiety when there's no proof whatsoever that AI will replace any specialized skill. Even during the rise of it, we've still seen a shortage of skilled people companies are desperate to hire.
It's clever to be aware of. As you said, there's no proof but let's prepare us to face it if it actually happens!
Absolutely resonates with the 'craft scarcity effect'! 🌟 The examples provided beautifully showcase the enduring allure of handcrafted expertise in diverse fields. As a UI/UX designer, I completely agree – there's an artistry and soul in human creations that AI can't replicate. Embracing craftsmanship not only maintains tradition but adds that irreplaceable touch. Cheers to the artisans shaping a future where dedication and passion continue to thrive amidst technological waves! 🚀✨ #CraftsmanshipMatters #HumanTouch
You're absolutely right, some things are just irreplaceable.
Thank for this source of Inspiration Archie!
You're welcome, just wanted to help alleviate some anxiety around AI and
I also think so.
I think AI will help a skilled person to do their job efficiently. It won't takeover.
Exactly!
Obviously I'm biased since gopilotx is an AI fitness training app however AI is not going to replace your favorite training class in 2024 exactly or even close. Your personal relationship with your coach and their expertise is hard to beat.
That said, to be disruptive AI doesn't need to be better than your favorite coach. It only needs to be good enough at a price point low enough that the deficiencies become acceptable.
We offer free three week training plans customized based on your particular goal and your current physical condition, which we learn through chat. Then we generate a schedule of workouts with instructions. We do something similar for running workouts only those come with time and distance cues built into the experience.
Is that a 1:1 match with a personal trainer? Obviously not. However at present we offer this service for free and our target subscription pricing is about half of the price of a running app right now. That would make a yearly membership less than the cost of a week of personal training time.
Then consider that the training of our custom model will get better, the audio experience will get better, ai will at some point be on-device and the coach can respond more fully in real time, and suddenly in 5 years you can spend 100s and thousands in personal coaching or you can spend a $50 yearly flat fee for unlimited coaching from an AI.
As someone who spent the last four years in running technology at the very highest level, I feel very confident in my belief that what I've described is a much closer picture of the future than a world where personal trainers are in demand by the general public as they currently are.
This is a great example of how a profession can co-exist with AI based automation. In fact, a personal trainer could use your tool to add further value to a client, providing them that personalized touch on top of it. It's precisely the point I'm trying to make. We have mass production capabilities but it co-exists with craftsmen. I don't see how it would be any different with AI.
AI is designed to replace human labour and expertise. It only works with people until it can replace them. That's the whole point. I appreciate your optimism but I don't see the foundation. A professional artist can do more with photoshop. A jr technician with AI can produce professional art without any talent and minimal training. A professional artist with ai can do the work currently being done by multiple artists. Either way expensive human talent is eliminated.
The metric for the success of AI is how well it does exactly what human beings do and not how much more productive it makes human beings. That is the fundamental difference between real agi and what came before.
Look at the benchmarks we use for AI today. They compare AI directly to people. They didnt do that with photoshop or ms word.
Ok, you lost me there.
First, not everyone building AI does it with the intention to replace human labour and expertise. Most AI developers I speak talk about it from a productivity perspective, not a human replacement perspective. Just look at the sheer amount of AI generated content out there.
There are so many clues with which you can spot them. This particular post I had proofread by Chat GPT based on a draft I wrote, and as much as I tried to make it personable, you can still see the clues that betray its nature. Chat GPT didn't replace my writing, it just made it more productive. Meanwhile, when I spot an article written by actual writers, it reads as authentic and "real" - no trace of AI to be seen. Even human proofreading is unbeatable by AI. Might improve later, but it just doesn't carry the ever changing process of human understanding and growth.
Second, you and I have a vastly different understanding of what art is and means. Art, especially from the perspective of the artists and those who are enthusiastic observants of it, is an expressive from that directly translates a person's (or entity if it's for an organisation) authentic experience. It is always unique and can't ever be replicated. That's the whole point of art and how it exists in all its forms.
Whether it's graphics, product design, illustrations, paintings, sculptures, etc. AI, at best, can mimic that transformative process, but it can't replace it because it isn't human. And because it isn't inherently human, and has no intent of its own springing from a source other than whoever designed it, it would therefore never be able to replace people.
It doesn't matter if some won't be able to see a difference, just knowing the difference would be enough to see it as less than. But I can guarantee you, most will see the difference, especially those with high standards for excellence and other artists who live and breath design.
For operations, deploying AI to produce whatever output at scale can be extremely useful, especially if it's "good enough" depending on what's acceptable for a user of AI. But it can't ever replace true craftsmanship. That professional artist you referenced, they'll become more sought after once their skillset becomes a rare commodity. People, organisations, companies, and other entities looking to differentiate between what's flawlesly AI and what's imperfectly human will create demand for it, always.
So whereas you believe AI is and should be about replacing humans, which in all honesty is about as unethical of a goal one can develop AI for, I believe it's at best an accelerator, a extremely useful productive measure to produce more output.
And so, that personal trainer will still be needed. The artist will still be needed. The coder or engineer will still be needed. There would just be less manual labour required, less hiring perhaps, but not zero hiring because it is about productivity.
A total dismissal of all manual labour AI can mimic is about as sci-fi as it can get. We as humans keep going back to the things that make us human in the first place; our creative abilities and applied knowledge through experience. Not replaceable if you ask me. I visited a Belgium factory that made chocolate following the exact process of an artisan chocolaterie. It mimicked it 1:1. Yet the chocolaterie's product was superior in every way, richer in taste, creamier, melted better.
The difference was, although that replicated process existed for the chocolaterie, there is always the human touch that follows a feeling or intuition and creates a divergence somewhere, even if its for a second. End product reflects it. Making the mass produced high-quality chocolate just taste inferior.
It's also important to note that although AI has surpassed human skill level in some areas, it still needs supervision and decision making by another human. Take Dalle2 images for example. If those images are going anywhere that is remotely practical like an ad copy or a magazine, they need to be carefully scrutinized by a human to make sure there are no distortions or mistakes. Human supervision will always be there, as we will ultimately be the decision makers when using these tools.
Deliver takeout
Thanks for sharing this, Archie!
Your insights resonate with my experience. Recently, my camera got stolen during a desert safari dubai. While tech is advancing, personal touch and craftsmanship, like my lost photos, remain irreplaceable. Keep thriving in your unique craft.
This is exactly how I see this problem. I want to emphasize, though, that the number of people producing similar content will now be much larger. It makes all the difference to delve into your own personal problems and solve them in your own productive way, which will attract attention to your own brand and help with sales because of how genuine your product is and how it helps others with the same issues.
It's always those thinkers.
I resonate with most of the content in the article, but could a fitness program be tailored to specific body types and preferred diet if the model is trained on enough data?
It definitely could, but again, you won't have the human touch. Especially in fitness, a personal trainer connects with you on an emotional level and reads you as a person. There's an element to it you simply can't replicate with AI.
Also massage therapists! Who wants to get a massage from a robot D:
Lol, great example!
Well articulated!
Well said!
Thank you, glad to know you resonated with it.
Very interesting! The AI will improve our skills to the limit!
It will for sure, but it won't replace us ;)
AI won't replace us for everything at least.
I'm a true believer of AI to enhance us and make us better at multiple things.
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I'm very glad to know you liked the reminder!