Being a Plumber Might Be a Smart Idea in the Age of AI
Image From chatgpt
Geoff Hinton, who is popular known as the godfather of AI, says many jobs may be lost because of AI. Yes of course, even the non experts kinda see this coming.
We can clearly see that AI is gradually getting pretty good at copy typing office jobs, like answering phones or reviewing legal documents and the jobs are in jeopardy. Now if I have a phone issue, before contacting tech support of the phone company or the store I bought it from, I ask chatgpt or Grok for help. I talk to it just like I would to a tech support person and I usually find solutions. The best part is it's not a person so they can't get pissed off if you're asking stupid questions.
But don't start panicking and calling it quits bon your job because not all jobs are endangered. Hinton says AI still cannot perform hands on jobs using tools. For this reason, becoming a plumber may be a good move. Yes I know, it's not a nice office work but at least it's not standing the risk of being ruined by AI. At least not for now.
Because even though I respect the opinions of Hinton, I think plumber job is at risk the minute advancef AI is incorporated into a machine or robot that can move it's hands just like a human plumber.
The reason AI can't for now is because plumbers install and repair sinks, pipes and toilets and all this takes hands, and chatgpt can't generate hands, except in an image or a video by Sora.
One thing I dread the most is not the lost of jobs leading to financial constraints because I'm certain before that time comes, most of us would have found a way to adapt to the change, but the lost of the joy of working. There's an amount of satisfaction we get from doing the work we love and I fear we may be denied of that if AI takes over.
Even if we are handed free money by the government, people will still probably not be in a good place if they lose their work.
Some jobs as in the case of nurses and doctors are generally safe jobs because they will likely always be in demand and there will preferences, where some people prefer human assistance and others are generally ok with a robot nurse or doctor. Regardless, a large number of people will need to figure out a new kind of work.
The whole point is that any job that require real human hands, skill and knowledge should be the most secure. Perhaps it is time to start considering learning a trade. Those things we looked down on might actually end up being the ones that survive AI revolution until robots come and take that one away too.
I believe in the very end, social media and human engagement will be the only job AI can't replace. Yes, AI can make content but aia engagement is pointless. Communication and basic interactions will be human forever.