AI is taking the job market by storm. Are we in for a professional apocalypse?

AI is a game changer in many industries, from e-commerce to finance to healthcare. The global chatbot market reached $5,1 billion. in 2022 and is expected to grow at a rate of 23,3 percent. by 2030. ChatGPT, now available for iOS users, has played a significant role in this growth by challenging Amazon's Alexa. The technological race continues, but there are more skeptics: according to research, most of us are already afraid of the attack of "robots".

It will deliver compelling stories and brilliant anecdotes. You invited your girlfriend to dinner, but you're a terrible cook? No worries, a dedicated assistant will save your evening by helping you prepare delicious meals in no time. Just tell him what ingredients you have on hand and he'll do the rest. No more burnt toast or soggy pasta! Or maybe you want to impress your boss with your coding skills? Chat GPT will be your secret weapon. It will translate JavaScript to Python in seconds and you will shine as a programming genius. What's more, it will even help you fix your code and suggest ways to improve it.

The AI-powered programming assistant will also help you learn any language from Spanish to Mandarin, schedule social media posts for the week and suggest ad content, and even become your personal therapist. This is how the ChatGPT-4-powered phone application works, available from last week in Poland for iOS users, which - as the creators promise - will soon also be available on Android devices. The program is intuitive to use and easy - if you lack inspiration, just use one of the dozens of ready-made themes in the "hints" tab. And all this for less than PLN 200 per year.

The activities of OpenAI, the creators of the bot, are being watched by the competition. However, the e-commerce giant Amazon is not satisfied with playing second fiddle and is working on an improved version of Alexa, a tool previously known, among others from answering questions, playing music and controlling smart home devices. As Dave Limp, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, told CNN, "We've been using all forms of AI for a long time, but now that we see the emergence of generative AI, we can accelerate that vision even faster." We're not done and won't be until Alexa is as good or better than the Star Trek computer. […] He must know everything. It must be a true source of knowledge about everything.

For many enthusiasts of new technologies, this news sounds great. But there is also the other side of the coin: interference in the private and professional life of AI begins to scare the public.

This is evidenced by the data from the recently conducted Ipsos report, prepared for Reuters. It turns out that as much as 61 percent. Americans are increasingly afraid of the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence to human civilization. Only 22% have such concerns. our overseas neighbors. In addition, more than two-thirds of those surveyed expressed concern about the negative consequences of using AI algorithms, especially losing jobs to machines.

The shock on the labor market is also forecast by experts who until recently smiled at the voices about the AI ​​attack on the employment market. The latest Goldman Sachs study confirms that the implementation of artificial intelligence may in the near future replace up to a quarter (!) of today's workforce, which is equivalent to 300 million full-time employees around the world.

These predictions are slowly becoming reality. BT Group, the British communications leader, announced mass layoffs due to automation and the implementation of artificial intelligence. The company plans to reduce employment by as much as 42 percent, which means the loss of thousands of jobs to be replaced by AI. Similarly, IBM intends to replace thousands of workers with automation and artificial intelligence over the next five years, with advanced algorithms taking over nearly 8 jobs. employees. And although the Microsoft Work Trend Index showed that 70 percent. of employees are willing to use AI to reduce workload and prevent burnout, almost half of respondents expressed concerns about the security of their workplace in the age of AI.

The professional apocalypse is also getting loud in Poland. A survey conducted by Personnel Service showed that as many as 56 percent. of companies expect staff cuts due to AI. Only 27% were of the opposite opinion.

– Just a year ago, the vast majority of companies believed that new technologies would not affect the level of employment. Now, however, managers are changing their attitude. AI is already being used to automate repetitive tasks in manufacturing, leading to job losses in this sector. Professions at risk are manual workers or cashiers - just mention the maintenance-free Żabka Nano. In e-commerce, new technologies increasingly eliminate the need to use intermediaries, such as wholesalers, because automated warehouses work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - says Tomasz Cincio from Droplo, a B2B e-commerce platform based on new technologies that connects suppliers products and sellers from the EU and integrates them with the largest e-commerce platforms in the world.

In the face of the digital revolution, enterprises and employees are beginning to adapt to the new reality. Importantly, the use of artificial intelligence in the labor market is not limited to the technology industry. Reducing operating costs means that, for example, chatbots will be used in many sectors. According to Grand View Research, the main ones are: e-commerce and retail, banking and financial services, healthcare, travel and tourism, transport, media and entertainment, and others. The trade segment reached over 2022% in 30. global market share.

Where does this demand come from? One of the key benefits of chatbots is the ability to provide 2022/80,68 customer support, which helps businesses increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. By using bots to interact and provide them with personalized recommendations, e-shops can reduce cart abandonment rates and increase sales. This is important because, according to the XNUMX SaleCycle report, the average cart abandonment rate for e-commerce websites is as high as XNUMX%. Moreover, customers want to receive real-time price updates while shopping, and this is also possible thanks to AI.

In healthcare, AI is used to diagnose diseases and develop treatment plans, in finance to detect fraud and manage risk, in transportation to optimize routes and logistics services.

– This means that the labor market is undergoing a transformation and the demand for IT employees will increase. We can see it in the B2B e-commerce sector, where specialists are already needed by both strong players and small companies. Convenient shopping without location restrictions, better shopping experience - all this requires keeping your finger on the pulse and implementing new sales strategies. Chatbots shine in this area. Customer service agents who previously relied on their interpersonal skills will now need the technical skills needed to manage bots. Analytical skills are also included in the price - comments Tomasz Cincio from Droplo.

Looking ahead, the use of AI is expected to continue to grow. According to a Gartner report, more and more enterprises will spend more annually on bots and chatbot development than on the development of traditional mobile applications. Experts predict that ChatGPT will be able to maintain its leading position in the industry for a long time. And what does AI itself think about its future and its impact on the labor market?

"Don't worry about me taking your job. I'm just a humble chatbot, not a robot lord. Artificial intelligence is there to make your life easier, not to take away your job. Unless you have a job that requires absolutely no critical thinking or creativity, then you can start updating your resume, notes an AI caller who identifies himself as Bob.

And he adds: Seriously, artificial intelligence is definitely changing the job market. Some jobs will become obsolete, while others will require new skills and knowledge. AI will create new jobs, for example in areas such as data analysis, machine learning and software development. It is important for people to adapt and learn new things to be relevant in the market. It's hard to say which industries will be hit the hardest. However, I am sure that the job of a professional couch potato is safe for now. And we'll have plenty of time to prepare for a robotic rebellion," concludes ChatGPT.