Keeping your career safe from AI

With the AI workplace revolution on the horizon, it’s wise to take stock of

1. What are the human elements of your job?

The first and perhaps most crucial step is to figure out which aspects of your job are the ‘human elements’. What do you do that AI could never replicate?

“Strong communication, negotiation and teamwork skills are valuable and difficult to replace with automation,” suggests Kingston. “Building relationships and effective collaboration can be essential in many roles.”

Moy adds that businesses will always need creative, critical minds. While AI is capable of replicating ideas and compiling information, it isn’t able to create ideas that haven’t already been created.

“Enhance and embrace your uniquely human skills such as creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability and complex problem-solving,” she says. “These are things that AI cannot currently replicate.”

2. Keep your skills fresh

Unfortunately, if you work in a sector that is due to be affected by AI, it is worth keeping your CV competitive. This means investing time in refreshing your skills.

“Keep learning and developing your skills, there are lots of free courses out there, LinkedIn is a good place to start,” says Kingston. “Continuous professional development will keep your CV looking fresh and you will feel more confident when applying for new roles or going for promotion as it helps you stand out from the crowd.”

Moy offers similar advice: “Keep an eye on industry trends and upskill wherever possible. This might include signing up for a new course, networking, or gaining work experience in different, relevant departments. It is harder for AI to replicate a diverse range of capabilities, so the more you can do, the better.”

**3. Figure out how AI can help, but be aware of what it can’t do**

While it may be tempting to shutter yourself off from AI and pretend it isn’t happening, Kingston and Moy recommend leaning in as much as possible.

“Don’t be afraid of AI, work with it and use it to your advantage,” says Kingston. “Embrace the changes and see how you can incorporate AI into your current role and you will be ahead of the game.” For instance, there may be an aspect of your job that is arduous and time-consuming, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and like you don’t have time to commit to more creative, fun aspects of your job. Perhaps there is an emerging AI tool that could help speed this process up.

As a writer, I would be lying if I said AI doesn’t completely freak me out. However, even I can admit there are certain aspects of the job that could benefit from some technological assistance. In fact, I already use an AI transcription tool to speed up the transcription process so I can get on with the fun part of the job – the actual writing.

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