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Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is increasingly becoming a part of daily life, and its impact is being felt across many industries, from business and trade jobs to the arts.
This has left many people wondering: “Is AI coming for my job?”
AI is transforming the way we work, challenging long-held perceptions of what human expertise means in various professions. As AI becomes more integrated into our daily routines, the question arises: can human talent be replaced by machines?
Bo Drake, Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development at Chattanooga State Community College, views AI not as a replacement but as a partner, especially in trade jobs.
“I think it’s just important that we realize that this technology is here. The genie is out of the bottle, and we need to figure out ways to embrace and adapt to this ever-changing world,” said Drake.
Drake believes AI will improve safety and efficiency in trades. However, he emphasized that workers will still need to grow their skills, not only in hands-on tasks but also in technology.
David Burgess, Department Head of Industrial Processes at Chattanooga State, explained how AI could enhance trades like bricklaying.
He said by collaborating with machines, workers could improve productivity and troubleshoot issues faster.
“We can build machines that collaborate with human beings, that lay the brick, mix the mortar, and troubleshoot breakdowns. The manuals that a technician would use could be routed to their fingertips, as far as touching their glasses. So AI is going to affect us completely in every imaginable way in the trade industry,” said Burgess.
Chad Jaynes, Dean of Business and Industry at Chattanooga State, predicts that AI will continue to impact a wide range of jobs.
“Our paralegal program, two years ago, was the first to see AI integrated into that day-to-day practice. Quickly behind that was digital media, web design and animation, but then it went into accounting, economics, finance, logistics, and supply chain,” Jaynes said. “The trend continues that AI is growing daily.”
Jaynes notes that nearly every department is feeling the effects, and AI components are being integrated into curriculums to ensure students are prepared for the changing workforce.
Patrick Ward, an associate professor of Cyber Defense at Chattanooga State, said he is also seeing the effects.
“Basically, what we’re teaching the students now is how to use AI to do predictive analytics, looking at behavior of attackers and seeing what they’re going to do next” said Ward.
AI could impact those in arts careers.
In March 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ELVIS Act, which protects the personal rights of songwriters, performers, and other music professionals from AI misuse.
Graphic designer John Goggans, who works for a Chattanooga-based company, shared his thoughts on AI’s role in the arts.
“I’m not worried about AI taking my job,” Goggans said. “But it does pose ethical problems in terms of the honesty of the visual item or object that you’re looking at.”
Goggans argues that when AI presents a visual object, or a sentence/ paragraph, it can’t do that critically because it can’t think original thoughts.
“We still need humans to do those things, because all it can do is regurgitate,” Goggans said.
Goggans said AI can’t replicate the creative vision that humans have.
“It can only do what it what you tell it to, and ultimately, the real intelligence and the real impetus and the real creative will or vision is relying on the person who’s giving the prompt,” Goggans said.
Goggans says there will be a need for people to determine what is AI generated.
“We collectively will have to respond to this new technology, and that will result in, I think, the need for people to identify what’s false,” Goggans said.
For those entering the design industry, Goggans advises staying true to your vision.
“No one has your vision, and a computer can’t replicate that,” he added.
Though some remain skeptical about AI’s long-term effects on jobs, experts agree that this technology is here to stay and will continue to evolve.
Bo Drake remains optimistic, encouraging people to embrace AI, even in the face of uncertainty.
“It can be scary, no doubt, but fear isn’t going to lead us to where we need to go. Leaning into this new future is critically important for everyone’s individual success,” said Drake.