A Rising AI Class

AI is everywhere in education and business circles. But national public sentiment is not there. According to a new Pew Research Center survey released this week, “Among those who have heard of ChatGPT, 24% say they have ever used it. That amounts to 18% of U.S. adults overall.”

Other study findings that stood out to me: Younger and college-educated adults have heard of and used ChatGPT. In fact, “32% of adults who have a college degree or more education and have heard of ChatGPT have used it.” College graduates are particularly likely to think chatbots will affect their jobs, the survey notes.

So where is AI’s influence heading? I attended Section School’s session “Leading in the Age of AI” to understand more. While I don’t agree with all the prognostications and forecasts presented, the following points rang true to me:

1. A new class of workers will emerge (the AI class vs. the knowledge class). The knowledge class — college-educated, white-collar workers — have thrived these past several decades. The AI class — who know how to use and leverage AI tools — will rise to the top in the coming years.

2. We’ll see a new sea of entrepreneurs.

3. AI will create more anxiety in the workplace.

4. There will be a new language of business — for example, hallucinations, defined as a confident AI response that is not true.

5. People will have high-level AI titles, including heads of AI and CAIOs (Chief AI Officers). We’ll see more AI coaches.  

6. Some people will steer away from low-knowledge work to the trades, which are less susceptible to AI’s disruption.

The presenter offered some guidance on handling the changes:

1. Don’t ban AI.

2. Try the tools at work and at home.

3. Don’t be defensive about its capabilities.

4. Hire a head of AI who’s a business leader, not a technologist.

I’ll add my own: Maintain curiosity, inquiry, and critical thought on all things AI.