A Great Leap Forward

Times change, but there are periods when humanity takes a giant leap forward.

After the Civil War, for example, the Industrial Revolution changed America. Humanity moved away from a mostly agrarian lifestyle, working on farms and ranches, and into cities, where they took factory jobs.

Things didn't change overnight, but most agree that this period in history moved humanity forward and eventually made life easier.

AI could change Arizona's future
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It was no longer necessary to rise with the sun every day, rain or shine. The daily task of milking the cows and feeding the chickens has been replaced with popping into the grocery store and buying eggs and milk.

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The Next Big Leap for Arizona?

We may be on the cusp of the next leap forward. Some don't see this "advancement" propelling humanity forward but instead call this technological development an existential risk.

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We may look back at history only to realize that the men who I've come to think of as the "Three Wisemen of Artificial Intelligence" were right:  Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAIDemis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic have all sounded the alarm, warning about the potential risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

These experts have warned, "Artificial intelligence could lead to the extinction of humanity."

KEEP READING: The Problem with Bill Gates' Planned Arizona Smart City

Arizona Jobs Most Threatened by AI

According to experts, about 21% of jobs in Arizona could be replaced by AI. Here are some of the jobs at greatest risk of being replaced with AI automation:

Content Creators: Since AI can quickly generate high-quality content, content creators who write web articles, produce videos, and create social media posts could easily be replaced.

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Telemarketers are almost obsolete in the age of texting anyway. Artificial intelligence can easily automate repetitive tasks like cold calling, taking the human element out of the job altogether.

Customer Service Representatives are already a threatened species, with chatbots and virtual assistants handling routine inquiries. AI will make this process smarter and less annoying for the consumer as it improves.

Administrative Assistants will mostly be replaced with AI that can streamline administrative tasks. If AI figures out how to make coffee, this job might be eliminated completely.

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Retail Jobs are already at risk. Self-checkout systems and e-commerce have been impacting low-paying retail jobs for years.

READ: Another Major Clothing Retailer Closing All Remaining AZ Locations

Proofreaders might need to find a new profession. AI tools can proofread text efficiently, even better than humans, in some cases.

Data Analysts could be on the endangered list, too. Basic data analysis tasks can be automated and may be able to spot trends more efficiently than humans.

Arizona's job opportunities may look very different in the future as more entry-level and lower-skilled jobs move toward AI.

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From the business perspective, replacing a flawed human who demands salary increases, takes time off, and is only willing to work eight hours a day, five days a week, with an efficient technology that only requires a one-time investment cost, plus upgrades, probably looks pretty good right now.

From a human's perspective, the future may seem bleak. Who will buy the AI-generated products if no one has a job? Time will tell if this is good for Arizona or a sci-fi nightmare.

Sources: MIT Sloan Review | Press Books | BBC | How Stuff Works

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