AI Life Advice

I'm 16 in sixth form (doing Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, predicted A/A*s in all so far) I have a fear that eats away at me every waking day that AI will cause the economic classes to seperate and the rich and powerful with have unrestricted control of superintelligent AI, and will leave the rest of humanity in the dust. Call me cynical, but I think that a dystopian outcome is literally inevitable (in the form of AI causing human extinction or this) because the rich and powerful are evil people solely motivated by self-interest with no ethical regards for anyone but themselves. Therefore, I see the time period between now and 2030 as "the last bus" to living a life that is not filled with suffering and misery. Some companies have outright said in leaked documents that their main plan is to replace as many jobs with AI as possible to reduce employee costs, which only reinforces my pessimistic predictions. All of this has put a lot of pressure on me to make as much money as possible before it's too late. I don't really know what to do. I don't want to try and balance or even DROP my university ambitions in return of working day and night on some online business that I have no passion for (but has a chance at allowing me to climb the ranks) but at the same time... do I have a choice?

Reply 1

StudytimeA

3

My opinion: the economy and job market will adapt to the changes that AI bring. Yes, there are and will continue to be jobs that start to be replaced by AI and robots. However, it's a gradual process, and the technology is available not just to the rich and powerful but to everyday people, and you can always utilize it.

If you study history, you'll see that the world has always been a changing landscape with technological advancements. The fact of the matter is that we are overall in better health and living longer than any previous generations ever have – so – we have a lot to be thankful for. Yes, there are huge disparities, but in the grand scheme of things our standards of living and quality of life are increasing year-on-year.

Educating yourself is never wasted. To better understand the world is to better be able to have impact and influence to do some good, and will also increase your job prospects and employability.

One can always choose to look at the bad, or to look at the good. I've always found that being a realistic optimist wins every time… Learning to accept the limits to our capacity for shaping the world that we live in is a skill, but all any of us can do is our best.

So that would be my advice. Do your best. Don't drop your studies, that's just not smart. Have these conversations and share these thoughts with your peers and teachers as you progress through education and on to university and into the workplace. It might be that you can find a way to tackle world issues.

If you're worried about the world, you may also find it useful to study some social sciences for a more well-rounded view of it outside the harder sciences that you're doing.

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 2

rockyrhythm

8

I understand your concern and many people share it, just look at this article on the topic, it's called AI anxiety. I agree with this part, though: "Humans will always have a role to play in business by performing the important work that robots cannot. This kind of work typically requires innate human qualities, such as relationship-building, creativity, and emotional intelligence,. Recognizing the unique value of humans in the workforce, when compared to machines, is an important step in navigating the fears that surround this topic."

Sadly, it's a fact that with further development some jobs will be replaced by AI, but it's also a fact that new jobs will be created. Let's not forget that technology has changed the way things are done in pretty much every industry. Back in the day, your project management tool was a piece of paper with a to-do list to check. The next step was software and for example, now you can do project management with Jira, or any other software available out there. Now I'm reading on Harvard Business Review that AI will transform project management. Things change. We have to acquire some new skills and that's actually good.

I can tell you one thing, the best way to fight your fear is to get to know your "enemy". Learn more about AI, and how valid your grounds for concern are. When people are afraid of something they know little about, they will share all kinds of information without any fact-checking. Perhaps reading some of these things contributed to you feeling this way. Find reliable sources and read the facts, not opinions, and I believe you might start seeing things a bit differently.

Reply 3

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Anonymous

I'm 16 in sixth form (doing Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, predicted A/A*s in all so far) I have a fear that eats away at me every waking day that AI will cause the economic classes to seperate and the rich and powerful with have unrestricted control of superintelligent AI, and will leave the rest of humanity in the dust. Call me cynical, but I think that a dystopian outcome is literally inevitable (in the form of AI causing human extinction or this) because the rich and powerful are evil people solely motivated by self-interest with no ethical regards for anyone but themselves. Therefore, I see the time period between now and 2030 as "the last bus" to living a life that is not filled with suffering and misery. Some companies have outright said in leaked documents that their main plan is to replace as many jobs with AI as possible to reduce employee costs, which only reinforces my pessimistic predictions. All of this has put a lot of pressure on me to make as much money as possible before it's too late. I don't really know what to do. I don't want to try and balance or even DROP my university ambitions in return of working day and night on some online business that I have no passion for (but has a chance at allowing me to climb the ranks) but at the same time... do I have a choice?

Dont drop your university ambitions. I’d suggest that you study a proper degree in STEM and use those skills to equip yourself with resources and expertise. I would suggest that you study courses like Engineering, Bio-technology, Computer Science, Advanced Technology etc

Reply 4

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Woostar

A ?proper degree?
what about ppe, politics/philosophy, economics, law, accounting?

Those are proper degrees too. I was talking about STEM based on the OP’s message.

Reply 5

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Woostar

ahh i see (wait you think pol/Phil is a proper degree? This is very good)

What is not a “proper degree”?

I do. I personally like Philosophy and would encourage people to study it.
I would say BA in Dance Theory is not really a proper degree imho

Reply 6

Anonymous #2

Original post by Wired_1800

I do. I personally like Philosophy and would encourage people to study it.
I would say BA in Dance Theory is not really a proper degree imho

What degree did you study?

Reply 7

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Anonymous

What degree did you study?

Engineering

Reply 8

Anonymous #2

Original post by Wired_1800

Engineering

That is an undoubtedly employable degree tho, unless you go into law or foreign office or one of the million other (not particularly impressive jobs) that don’t require a specific degree, philosophy and politics is basically useless?

Reply 9

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Anonymous

That is an undoubtedly employable degree tho, unless you go into law or foreign office or one of the million other (not particularly impressive jobs) that don’t require a specific degree, philosophy and politics is basically useless?

I disagree. One of Britain’s most formidable degrees is PPE which is Philosophy, Politics and Economics. It’s so powerful that some media articles have claimed that PPE runs Britain.

If I did not study Engineering and I had another chance, I would have opted for PPE at Oxford. Preferably Trinity College, Oxford.

https://amp.theguardian.com/education/2017/feb/23/ppe-oxford-university-degree-that-rules-britain

Reply 10

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Woostar

I’m doing politics and philosophy (at Durham) I’m looking forwards to it, as it is made up of things I really like doing at a really cool uni, but with Ai going the way it is, it doesn’t feel like I’ll have an industry to go to by the time I graduate

AI accelerates societal changes, it is on us to ensure that we remain agile and flexible. The issue with humans is that we are creatures of habit and some refuse to change. It’s happened throughout history.

To me, I would suggest that you go into Consulting or Finance. You can do the ACA in a Big 4 Firm or apply to strategy consulting firms like Bain, BCG and McKinsey. Your early years should hopefully prepare you for the changing world.

My advice for you is to look for a summer internship in a Big 4 firm like PwC. Once you secure that internship, you are basically guaranteed a job as long as you don't mess it up.

if the above does not work out, then consider a Masters in Cambridge or Oxford.

Finally, Durham is an excellent uni. Well done in getting an admission.

Reply 11

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Woostar

”To me, I would suggest that you go into Consulting or Finance. You can do the ACA in a Big 4 Firm or apply to strategy consulting firms like Bain, BCG and McKinsey.“
im not doing economics though? How can I end up in Finance?? (Thank you so much for the advice!)

Most consulting grad roles don't require an economics or financial background. You should look at improving your CV with relevant work experience and take on leadership or committee roles at your uni. Apply for the grad roles at banks, big 4 firms or consulting firms.

At Durham, you could join your JCR committee or other uni clubs/societies then rise through the ranks to take on roles and responsibilities.

Have a look/contact the Durham Consulting Society:
https://www.durhamsu.com/groups/consulting-95c4

The ACA qualification is a good preparation for some Finance careers. You can consider roles in Audit at the Big 4 where they will train you for the ACA whilst working your grad role.

Here is the summer internship overview:
https://www.pwc.co.uk/careers/early-careers/our-programmes/summer-internship.html

https://www.bain.com/careers/roles/aci/

Good luck

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