According to Moore’s Law, computing power—through transistor chips—would double approximately every two years. Artificial intelligence (AI) has beaten that law, with its computational power doubling approximately every half a year. But it’s far from beating Murphy’s Law, which states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
Yes, AI can still make mistakes. The quality of its output relies heavily on the quality of the data input humans give it. Essentially, it only learns what we want it to learn, leaving room for errors.
However, some people have already been laid off due to AI-driven solutions, which still leaves us with the cliché topic of whether AI is a friend or foe.
Spoiler alert: The truth lies somewhere in between.
Here, we’ll look at the industries already feeling the impact, the skills you’ll need to stay relevant, and why HR and IT professionals might just be the biggest winners in this AI-driven revolution.
The AI Boom: How Did We Get Here?
Automation isn’t a new phenomenon. History shows that from the Industrial Revolution to the rise of computers, technology has reshaped jobs rather than eliminating them outright.
But the problem lies with the thing we talked about in the introduction: the unprecedented pace of AI’s improvement is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
That could be why some industries and companies are hesitant to use AI in their operations. In fact, a 2023 Gartner survey revealed that while 78% of strategists considered AI, automation, and analytics tools critical to their company’s success, only 20% said they were using those tools.
Meanwhile, companies in customer service, retail logistics, content, and IT have already integrated AI into their processes. According to Tech.co, here are a few examples:
- MSN: Replaced some main-page journalists with AI.
- Google: Two rounds of layoffs in 2024, with heavy AI deployment in its ad sales processes later on.
- Ikea: Phased out call center work in 2023 and used a chatbot but planned to upskill affected employees.
Companies aren’t just experimenting with AI—they’re actively integrating it into daily operations.
The main motivators? Cost savings and efficiency. Companies are eager to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the chances of human error, but that doesn’t mean that humans are fully out of the equation.
AI is a real game-changer, but the game still needs its players.
AI as Your Digital Assistant: Making Work Easier
As mentioned earlier, companies turn to AI for better efficiency, but that doesn’t always mean that they’re doing it to cut costs. This technology is particularly useful for automating tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming, which means the teams that use AI get to focus on more strategic and creative work—a field where we still beat AI at every turn. AI just doesn’t have enough emotional depth, human experience, and context.
Consider these AI-driven productivity boosters:
- Customer and technical support: Chatbots can now handle common customer and tech concerns, serving as the first line of customer support.
- Automation for marketers: Several AI-driven tools can now generate reports for marketing campaigns. Some can even optimize ad campaigns.
- Project management: AI-driven scheduling tools keep teams aligned and on track.
- Writers, bloggers, and journalists: With search engines being stricter about AI-produced content, written content creators use generative AI to help them draft their pieces, spot grammatical errors, and apply style guides.
A 2023 study by Forrester found that customer interaction handling time went down by 30% through the use of “chatbot-augmented service agents with IBM Watson Assistant.” Instead of replacing employees, AI enables them to work smarter, not harder.
Yet, what happens when automation extends beyond simple assistance?
The Dark Side: AI and Job Displacement
AI has made some jobs obsolete in some companies, such as automated warehouses, fast food chains replacing staff with self-service kiosks, and call centers downsizing due to chatbots. These are roles that heavily involve routine tasks.
People have expressed their fears and concerns, and predictive studies back them up. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, “occupations at highest risk of automation account for about 28% of jobs.”
Again, it’s a case-to-case basis. One company in the same industry may lay off part of its workforce in favor of AI as a replacement, and another may use AI to improve workforce efficiency. The sad reality is that most of the time, the answer to the “friend or foe?” question relies on the companies themselves.
So, what can workers do to stay ahead of automation?
Here’s Some Relief: You Can Adapt to AI Instead of Fighting It
You can breathe a sigh of relief now. The future isn’t about AI vs. humans. Instead, it’s AI + humans. The key to job security here is how much you’re willing and ready to adapt. By upskilling and reskilling, you’ll be able to keep yourself valuable in the job market.
Here are some key skills that will be in demand:
- Literacy in AI: Understanding how AI technology works and how you can use it for certain operations, whether for answering queries, providing general information, or writing.
- Coding and data analytics: The development and optimization of AI tools, which can get technical.
Industries like cybersecurity, AI ethics, and prompt engineering are already seeing a rise in AI-related job opportunities.
Wrapping Up: So, Will AI Replace You?
It all depends on how a company intends to use AI and how employees adapt to the shift. We’re sure about one thing: Some jobs will be automated, but new ones will emerge.
Did you know AI can also benefit human resources and IT teams? Even these departments can use AI to streamline mundane tasks like remote onboarding and IT asset management and make them a thing of the past.
Want to learn how? Stay ahead of AI and book a demo with Dots today to learn more about our solutions.
