2024 Big Book intro: Invasion of the bots!

If it feels like robots took over our lives this past year, that’s because they have. Many of us have used ChatGPT to write an email, created an idealized self-portrait with Midjourney or seen a deepfake on X. Everyone has at least read marketing texts or emails created by a generative AI tool.

To different degrees, artificial intelligence is exciting, scary and unsettling. It can imitate our voices to the extent that a fake robocall using AI to spoof President Joe Biden’s voice in January fooled some New Hampshire primary voters. And AI software is so lightning fast that some companies are eyeing it to replace human information workers or at least to boost productivity in short-staffed departments. With each software update, it feels like AI threats to human jobs are getting closer. Eeek! Even Elmo is getting overwhelmed by the angst. After the “Sesame Street” Muppet tweeted “How is everyone doing?” in January, the nation responded with their anxieties and worries amid rising consumer prices and a looming high-stakes presidential election.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though.

Human therapists are still needed, along with plenty of other living, breathing professionals to provide us with well-founded, informed legal advice, perform surgery on us and educate our children.

This era may feel unique, but it isn’t drastically different from earlier periods. In 1932, people freaked out about an apocryphal robot that shot its creator — but no one really got shot; the inventor accidentally discharged the gun, burning his hand. Radio, television, automobiles and the internet have all provoked panics.

And no one should be shocked by that. We’re in the midst of an extraordinarily challenging post-pandemic period marked by political polarization and major shifts in work patterns, demands and structures.

But we will survive AI, just as most of us survived the internet, computers at work and other innovations.

Not everyone’s job will survive — some manufacturing and information jobs are in peril, for instance. That’s something that should concern all Virginians, not just those employed in those industries. But other jobs will emerge, especially for those who are willing and able to learn how to leverage AI and other innovative technologies.

In the past year, Virginia Business has written extensively about the impact of AI on the commonwealth’s workforce and companies. AI is already in use by health systems, chatbots are making searches faster and more accurate, and banks are using AI to catch fraudsters and hackers faster, as well as to handle routine customer service needs. Most of these tools are beneficial and will make work easier and more productive.

Workers have always had a lot asked of them — that’s true no matter your sector, level of experience or rung of the corporate ladder. Change can be difficult. Not everyone will be able to pivot to the newest booming industry. But many of us will adapt to the AI-powered workforce.

It will move fast, and we’ll need to be smart in calculating what career paths to take and how to harness the power of the bots. Many times, we will look to tech experts and government officials for guidance. In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin this year issued an executive order establishing guidelines for state databases and public schools in the use of AI, and state delegates and senators are studying uses of AI and governance needs.

Fortunately, we humans have plenty of company as we learn about AI’s risks and rewards at work and beyond, and yes, we will need each other’s company. And for now, only humans (and Muppets) can really provide that.