Everyone is Talking About AI — But Can AI Really Replace Jobs?

Jakub Ferencik
5 min readNov 25, 2023

We get a few things wrong when we talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its ability to replace jobs. It may be true that automation caused by AI advancements is increasing across various sectors, but the technological advancements we have seen in recent years are nowhere near able to replace many low-wage positions.

That said, automation is definitely changing the fabric of society, as we know it. Some have even suggested that the upcoming expedite in automation will usher in a “fourth revolution,” expanding on the Three Agricultural Revolutions.

Most importantly, the fact that we have not made these developments in AI now does not mean that they will never happen.

Dr. Bertalan Mesko, a Hungarian medical futurist, warned that “technology will keep developing no matter what we do.” The technological revolution will impact societal structures as we know them.

But how swift will this transition really be? In other words, Are the doomsday arguments warranted?

Yes, and no.

Let me explain.

“The future of work is vulnerable at best, chaotic at worst.” — Wendi S. Lazar and Nantiya Ruan

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

--

--

Jakub Ferencik

Journalist in Prague | Author of “Up in the Air,” “Beyond Reason,” & "Surprised by Uncertainty" on AMAZON | MA McGill Uni | 750+ articles with 1+ mil. views