Eighty Percent of the WorkForce: Gone Because of AI

AI/LLMs: The Bringer of Fire or Modern Prometheus?

See, I told you so...

A recent study found accountants in the crosshairs when it comes to large language models (LLM) and specifically, ChatGPT.  That's not all - 8 out of 10 people in the workforce will be in the same turbulent waters.

This is bigger than DOS to Windows.  This is bigger than typewriters to PCs, bigger than analog copiers turning into digital.  This is bigger than the internet, AOL, and Google.  This is different from the time when people flocked to the big cities and skyscrapers to work nine-to-five jobs for 40 years.  The cities are emptying, workers leaving, and buildings are empty.

This is Fire and Everything is changing. Now.

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...around 80% of the US workforce could have at least 10% of their work tasks affected by the introduction of LLMs, while 19% of workers may see at least 50% of their tasks impacted. The projected effects span all wage levels, and higher-income jobs may face greater exposure to LLM capabilities and LLM-powered software. LLM-powered software will have a substantial effect on scaling the economic impacts of the underlying models.

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We are living in the greatest convergence in history as the Fear of Covid, the Illumination or Remote Work, the mass acceptance of Artificial Intelligence, and the breakneck speed of exponential development collide.

"AI can write code and spreadsheet macros!"  Who cares.  AI is going to REPLACE coding and spreadsheets.

"AI will assist in supplies management and predicting service incidents."  Who cares.  AI is REPLACING service managers and supply closets.

- oh - and OUTPUT devices.  Why do you print now?  To review, analyze and make a decision.  AI will do that.  All that.  Without printing, without you. 

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I am reminded of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," which dealt with the consequences of playing god and creating a new life without considering the ethical implications.

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More from a real, scientific, study:

1. The study found that over 80% of the U.S. workforce is likely to be impacted by ChatGPT in some way.
2. Accounting, mathematics, interpretation, writing, and information-processing roles such as public relations specialists and blockchain engineers are among the most exposed to ChatGPT. However, the study did not predict which jobs would be lost or whose jobs would be lost.
3. Individuals are already using generative AI to work more efficiently, with some finding greater efficiency when using ChatGPT for monotonous tasks or to work through complex coding problems.
4. Studies have found that generative AI can save significant time and produce better results than humans can. For example, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology experiment found that those with access to ChatGPT finished their tasks 10 minutes faster than those without access.
5. The real challenge for companies, schools, and policymakers is to help people adapt to the changing landscape. This can include training workers to collaborate effectively with technology and redesigning jobs to enhance the autonomy, wages, and career prospects of many roles.

Here is a compiled summary:

A recent study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and OpenAI has revealed that generative artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT is likely to impact the careers of over 80% of the U.S. workforce, with accounting, mathematics, interpretation, writing, and information-processing roles such as public relations specialists and blockchain engineers most exposed. However, the study did not predict which jobs would be lost or whose jobs would be lost. The authors used a government database of occupations and their associated activities and tasks and had both people and artificial intelligence models assign exposure levels to the activities and tasks. They found that most jobs will be changed in some form by GPTs, with 80% of workers in occupations where at least one job task can be performed more quickly by generative AI.

Individuals are already using generative AI to work more efficiently, with one broadcast engineer finding greater efficiency when using ChatGPT for monotonous tasks or to work through complex coding problems. His employer, Audacy, is allowing employees to experiment with the tool. Recent studies have also found that generative AI can save significant time and produce better results than humans can. 

In a Massachusetts Institute of Technology experiment, researchers found that those with access to ChatGPT finished their tasks 10 minutes faster than those without access, and outside readers who assessed the quality of the assignments said the AI-assisted workers did better. Another paper by researchers at Microsoft Corp. analyzed the capabilities of GPT-4 and found that it could solve “novel and difficult tasks” with “human-level performance” in fields such as mathematics, coding, medicine, law, and psychology.

The real challenge for companies, schools, and policymakers is to help people adapt to the changing landscape, according to Matt Beane, an assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the impact of technology on the labor market. He notes that the process of implementing new technologies is often fraught with negotiation, resistance, “terror and hope” and that “That’s a multi-trillion dollar problem” that can include training workers to collaborate effectively with the technology and redesigning jobs to enhance the autonomy, wages, and career prospects of many roles.

This table provides information about the exposure of different occupations to GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) and GPT-powered software, based on the percentage of tasks within each occupation that can be completed with the help of these technologies.

The first column lists the occupation, while the second column indicates the percentage of tasks within that occupation that are exposed to GPTs. The third column shows the percentage of tasks within that occupation that are exposed to GPT-powered software, and the fourth column lists the percentage of tasks within that occupation that are fully exposed to these technologies (i.e., can be completed with the help of GPTs and GPT-powered software).

For example, the first row indicates that 76.5% of tasks performed by human interpreters and translators can be completed with the help of GPTs, while the second row shows that 75% of tasks performed by survey researchers can be completed with the help of GPTs-powered software. The last row lists the occupations with the highest variance in exposure scores, indicating that these occupations have the most variability in their exposure to GPTs and GPT-powered software.

It's important to note that the exposure percentages listed in this table do not necessarily suggest that these occupations can be fully automated by GPTs and GPT-powered software, but rather that these technologies can save workers a significant amount of time completing a large share of their tasks.

 

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Tweet: The future of work is changing faster than we anticipated. Over 80% of the US workforce will be impacted by ChatGPT, with some jobs at higher risk than others. Adaptation is the key to survival. #ChatGPT #futureofwork #adaptation

Intro Paragraph: The impact of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, is becoming more significant in today's workforce. According to recent studies, over 80% of the US workforce is likely to be impacted by ChatGPT in some way, with accounting, mathematics, interpretation, writing, and information-processing roles at the highest risk. As generative AI becomes more efficient, it is not just about helping with monotonous tasks or working through complex coding problems, but about replacing them altogether. The challenge for companies, schools, and policymakers is to help people adapt to this changing landscape.

Keywords: ChatGPT, LLM, future of work, adaptation, generative AI, risk, efficiency, changing landscape, automation

Search Question: How is the workforce impacted by ChatGPT and what jobs are at the highest risk?

Image Prompt: An image of a person typing on a computer with a robot arm hovering behind them, symbolizing the integration of AI in the workforce.

Real Song: "Modern Love" by David Bowie - another Bowie classic that speaks to the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of modern life, and the need to adapt and evolve with it.