One of the concerns with Artificial Intelligence (AI) is that it will lead to significant job losses through industries becoming “outsourced” to the technology. Admittedly, I have had that concern, and I don’t think there can be much of an argument against it. There will be some industries that will totally be disrupted because of AI.
For example, fully autonomous vehicles will become more mainstream, and companies like Waymo have been working on this for a while. I am noticing more of those vehicles during my travels that look like this from the website:
Autonomous vehicles are on the path to disrupting the many delivery services and ride-sharing jobs that currently exist (although those companies are more than likely to still exist), which is an interesting (and terrifying) thing to consider. This new technology will disrupt an industry that was a disruptor to other sectors not that long ago.
So, that disruption is coming, and much of what I am mentioning is a reflection based on some of my takeaways from the February 15, 2025, episode of the “All-In” Podcast. As I was listening to the podcast on my run, one of the hosts shared the following statements regarding “AI Disruption:” that stopped me dead in my tracks and made me write it down on my phone:
“New jobs will be created faster than old jobs will be lost.”
It’s an interesting statement at face value, but what was meant by that?
An example they provided on the podcast was the invention of the automobile. Obviously, this was a disruptive technology, and while it probably caused job loss, it also created different opportunities to support the automobile.
First of all, an easy one off the top of my head is the infrastructure of roads that must be created, maintained, and expanded continuously. With a quick Google search, I stumbled upon an article titled “The Automobile: Social Game Changer” on the NCPedia website that shared the following:
The automobile changed many things in the United States. These included changes for industry and technology and everyday life. Automobile manufacturing became one of the first industries to use the assembly line. The automobile gave people more personal freedom and access to jobs and services. It led to development of better roads and transportation. Industries and new jobs developed to supply the demand for automobile parts and fuel. These included petroleum and gasoline, rubber, and then plastics. Services like gas stations and convenience stores sprang up.
The automobile gave people access to jobs, places to live, and services. It also contributed to the rise of leisure activities. And with leisure came new services. These included motels, hotels, amusement parks and other recreation, restaurants and fast food. The automobile also brought new laws and government requirements. These included safety features like seatbelts, highway rules, and drivers’ licenses. The automobile also brought harm to the environment. Exhaust from gas-burning cars brought pollution. And undeveloped land was used to build highways and related industries.
Like every new technology, things are created, and things are destroyed.
There was a quote I heard once attributed to economist Thomas Sowell that said, “There are no solutions, only trade-offs,” and once you hear that and let it permeate in your mind, you start to see everything differently.
As I reflected on the conversation from the podcast, I went straight to ChatGPT and asked, “What supplemental industries will be needed to support AI?”
It provided the following list:
Semiconductors and Computing Hardware
Cloud Computing and Data Centers
Data Infrastructure and Management
Cybersecurity and AI Safety
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Human-AI Collaboration and Workforce Training
Energy and Sustainability
Biotechnology and AI in Healthcare
AI-Integrated Robotics and Automation
Creative Industries and AI Content Generation
The disruption is not just in the technology but everything surrounding it.
One of the other conversations that stuck with me in the podcast was that they discussed the idea of the technology “pessimist, optimist, and realist.”
As soon as I heard that was discussed, I thought about the following quote from Trevor Moawad’s book “Getting to Neutral”:
As with anything new in life, there are obstacles and opportunities. My belief today, as it was in the past and will be in the future, is that the best way to deal with change is to get out in front of it and do your best to create what you want to see rather than having it done to you.
This mentality is also something we should teach in schools: no matter what comes your way, you will have the mindset to know you will be able to learn and leverage it to make your world and the world for others a better place.
Just some of my thoughts after a run where I was trying to clear my mind!
