Artificial intelligence: The great unknown in jobs and education
Education is about developing critical thinking and soft skills that make graduates more employable.
The IMF has predicted that 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected by the introduction of A.I., by replacing some workers and by boosting the efficiency and productivity of others.
In its most recent report, the ESRI says that around 7% of jobs in Ireland are at risk in the short to medium term, particularly among higher earning and highly educated workers whose professions are most exposed to A.I.
It is almost impossible to predict all the ways that artificial intelligence will change the world of work, but what will never change is the requirement for soft skills. That’s according to Gerry Reilly, incoming president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, who sees A.I. as a useful tool when used properly.
“Soft skills are durable skills.,” he says, adding that all change is meant to be disruptive.
Julie O’Connor of Synergy Careers agrees, adding that all technological advancements are points of evolution from a career perspective which bring about changes in professional direction.
What everyone agrees on is that significant and continued upskilling is required to maintain the workforce, particularly in education, because co-op positions and entry level jobs are slowly being replaced by A.I.
“There is a lot of concern about it,” explains Gerry Reilly. “Entry level jobs are under threat. Every degree should have more of a work experience part in it to avoid having to start careers at entry level,” he adds.
While having A.I. skills will be an important part of third level education and is being added to undergraduate courses, Julie O’Connor highlights that further education isn’t just about passing exams, it’s also about developing critical thinking and other soft skills, which make graduates more employable and more flexible when work practices change.
Speaking to the New York Times recently, Professor of Philosophy Dr Jennifer Frey agreed that students are approaching education as simply preparation for a job rather than a preparation for life. She believes that, no matter what the area of study, all third level students should study humanities to promote deep humane reflection and self-cultivation. Professor Frey asks, if we give up our thinking to machines, then what will be left?
The use of A.I. in education has definitely led to some students giving up their thinking to machines in order to get assignments completed and in on time.
Gerry Reilly says that experienced teachers will recognise if students have used A.I., adding that he believes it does have a place in education.
“If you have a broken leg you use a crutch, it’s a crutch,” he says.
At present, however, that crutch is very lacking in rules of engagement and the question of ethical use of A.I. for the betterment of humanity on a local and global level has been raised by many figures including Pope Leo in his recent encyclical as well as artificial intelligence company Anthropic.
Pope Leo says that the need to keep up with the pace of technology can erode workers’ sense of agency and stifle their innovative abilities, while Anthropic is calling for a pause in frontier A.I. development in order to enable societal structures and alignment research to keep up with the advance of the technology.
Both agree that measures need to be put in place to ensure A.I. exists to serve humanity, not the other way around.
