Please note that the opinions below are those of my own and do not reflect those of any organizations I may be affiliated with.
If one reads any news article today, there is no doubt that we are living in a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) world now. Regardless of industry, career level or geographic location, GenAI has invaded every aspect of today’s civilization.
In many respects, what society is experiencing is similar to prior major technological shifts that occurred in the early 20th century. From the telephone to the television to the automobile, these technologies reset what society considered the baseline for individuals and their interactions with each other. While GenAI appears to be no different, there seems to be slight nuances in its effects on society.
Previous technologies such as the telephone and television had an effect of increasing common understanding and stickiness across all individuals regardless of socioeconomic background. However, the latest batch of technologies while having similar effects in terms of bringing individuals together is also fragmenting them as well. One can point to AI psychosis as an example of this fragmentation and individualization.
The question that is on everyone’s mind is how do individuals and society both navigate these whipsaw changes with GenAI? While there are some who would advocate burying their heads in the sand until the GenAI “fad” passes, the reality is that it is increasingly likely that some form of GenAI will be with society for decades to come. Much like the first Dotcom Bust of the early 2000s, the infrastructure that is built for GenAI will be utilized now and in the future. The question becomes how it will be utilized by individuals and society.
The hype around artificial general intelligence (AGI) has overshadowed the actual power of GenAI which it is as an individual empowerment tool. The focus has been on the potential decimation of jobs at the entry-level and of the white-collar type. What has been of reduced focus is the fact that GenAI can empower individuals to take their ideas further and faster than before. That difference, in part, explains why it can feel like society is feeling more fragmented than ever before.
The era that GenAI has created is one of further decentralization and one that requires more independent critical thinking. It is also one that may be more difficult to find consensus in or at least one that will have consensus take different forms.
Moving away from the societal aspects for a moment and towards the individual, what is one to do in these dynamic times where it seems everything is in upheaval. In many respects, one must pay attention to both external factors outside of their control but increasingly internal factors within their control.
The era of GenAI is an era of individual dominance. It is potentially one where an individual can run a billion-dollar organization without any staff. This complicates the trajectory of individual growth as well as societal growth as well.
Indeed, while GenAI can be potentially slowed due to regulation and individual intransigence, the inevitable rise of GenAI means that sooner or later individuals must learn to not only work with GenAI but have it work for them. It is better for individuals to understand how to make GenAI work for them than either work against GenAI or bury their heads in the sand. That mindset modification is critical not only to thrive but to survive.
While the focus has been on getting individuals to understand and adopt GenAI technology, the real mindset change is to enhance individual growth and creativity. Indeed, while industrialization and standardization have moved society to its great heights, it may be an impediment in the GenAI era.
Why is this? Individuals need to recognize that GenAI is moving the bar when it comes to what human labor is for and how human labor will manage itself. The management of labor or its self-management is key.
Indeed, for survival in today’s environment, it is necessary that individuals move from a passive approach to career management to a self-managed approach. That self-managed approach will not be easy that most individuals were trained for a differ era and different mentality.
The current path that most working individuals, particularly white collar professionals, have taken has been tried and true for generations. Focusing on white collar professions, an individual would attend college and have a reasonable expectation of obtaining an entry level job. From there, especially during the post-World War 2 era, one could reasonably be assured of a “cradle to grave” career situation. One where they could remain at their organization from the start of their career until their retirement.
Starting nearly 50 years ago, however, the situation has dramatically shifted and accelerated thanks to the advent of GenAI. The reality is that today’s employer-employee model is increasingly one that is based on independent contractors being utilized for defined projects.
Not only did this accelerate during the 2000s with the rise of the gig economy thanks to services such as Uber and Fiverr but GenAI has accelerated this transition. No longer do organizations have to employ armies of entry-level individual contributors for menial tasks. Increasingly, organizations are replacing these entry-level individual contributors with GenAI leaving many of these individuals without their first rung onto the career ladder.
Unfortunately, the current cohort of entry-level individual contributors is the first cohort to experience the dramatic changes introduced by GenAI. As such, they must unlearn and chart their own path given these rapidly dynamic changes in the environment.
Indeed, that unlearning and charting a new and unknown path is the scariest part for today’s generation. Sandwiched between the current expectations and principles of society versus the still forming requirements of a GenAI-augmented society, this cohort of entry-level individual contributors is struggling to find a path to success.
While many would state that this cohort must tough it out and adapt, one must acknowledge steep curve that today’s cohort needs to overcome with no defined path or guaranteed chance of success. In many respects, this cohort is charting the path for future generations and society must acknowledge that.