Emerging technologies always invite great speculation, most of which is either premature or ill-informed. From those early days of factory automation, as we transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial-based economy, there have been skeptics and doubters. 

In England’s early 19th century, the Luddites would break into factories and destroy machinery. They felt the automation would jeopardize the employment of the masses…to some extent true, but the fear was overblown. After all, the cotton gin displaced the mass manual labor of the farms, but didn’t the factories building the cotton gins need workers to build those very machines? Typically at higher wages, better benefits and in a safer environment. 

It is human nature to fear the unknown, and rest assured, AI is the fastest- emerging unknown frontier. Of this particular frontier, the range of expectations is unprecedented. On one end is excitement by the purported end of cancer and the expectation of either eternal life or, at the very least, an extended life expectancy. On the other end is a world with robots affecting the genocide of the human race. 

My advice to all is: first, read and learn, as it’s not going away and, in fact, has existential implications for life going forward. Second, take what you learn and immediately level-set your expectations, for at present, the majority of the population’s views are either excessively overblown or excessively dire. Heed the words of W. Edwards Deming: “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” 

As AI emerges from the Computer Science field with ginormous data builds, it creates algorithms to mimic human decision-making. The input of all that data enables the artificial intelligence to learn, reason and solve problems. As a result, AI can provide knowledge at the speed of light and expand human bandwidth. Not only does it provide knowledge, but it will also make human-type decisions more expeditious and optimal than those of a human brain. 

So much fear is emerging, unfortunately driven more by emotion than intelligence. Then again, it was Albert Einstein who is credited with observing: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” 

Today, yes, there is a shortage of skilled workers, but an abundance of unskilled or under-skilled workers who don’t want to work. Why, you ask... because the social welfare benefits are too close to the wages that limited skills could earn. Therefore, who would do the work of the future, given the aforementioned, combined with an aging population and a record generational wealth transfer currently underway? 

Truth be told, for an organization or industry or any other entity to survive, we must embrace automation, artificial intelligence and legal immigration, for in the absence of such, you are doomed. 

It is the projection that, of the jobs that AI replaces, 85% will be white-collar jobs. If your son, daughter or grandkids want to pursue a relevant life with a guaranteed secure income and career options, pursue the trades. Those in the trades, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, carpenters and so many more will be the rock stars of the future. If I were to script a life as a young man, notwithstanding that I’m a collegiate professor, I would start with a couple of years in the military, followed by the trades. That journey guarantees you a relevant life. I encourage all to really challenge the opportunities outside of a STEM degree. Yes, AI will bring a better life to many, but there are cautions and guardrails that must emerge. When and by whom is yet to be determined, but it must be determined sooner rather than later. There are legitimate and critical questions, such as: as efficiencies are found, does unemployment increase? Do we not see a correlation between high unemployment and cities burning with social unrest? 

So, grab some popcorn and secure a front row seat, as this show is just now beginning. Get on board and heed the warning of Will Rogers: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themself.” — Leo Tolstoy