Should you worry about the impending AI apocalypse as if Skynet will take over the world tomorrow and replace you with a robot? Probably not. AI can’t use common sense, intuition, or troubleshoot on the fly like a human or consider the long-term consequences of actions. The AI you hear about now is all in the prototype stages of development, no matter what you hear on the internet.
That being said, you don’t really have a lot of time to rest on your laurels if you want to improve your life, make more money, or start a business. People have been losing jobs due to scientific and technological advancements for decades. The problem is that AI will become more advanced by the day and ubiquitous in the coming years and decades. Job loss and the need to self-improve for better work have always been the cost of progress.
This is not a new problem, but your generation will have to brainstorm new wage-protecting solutions against the oncoming reality of AI.
Perpetual Awareness of Job Market Conditions is Job Security
Humans have been losing jobs in the auto manufacturing industry to automation since the 1960s, not the 1980s. If you’re over the age of 40 then you have witnessed former professions like flight engineers, VHS/CD store clerks, manual typists, and switchboard operators become obsolete within your lifetime.
Have you been to a movie theater lately? Movie projectionists are becoming obsolete. One movie theater can have one or two projectionists managing automated digital equipment to control all of the screens instead of having one projectionist for each screen.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical American now makes about $58,100 annually. Still, that is not a lot of money if you live in a high-cost-of-living metropolis, have children, and are transacting in an era of high runaway inflation.
To protect yourself you could get certified in new skills, take online courses, plan for retirement, and other things I will mention towards the end of this article. You can consult with a career coach, someone with a vetted track record, to help you strategize how to increase your pay and prepare for a future where corporations will rely more on AI and job competitiveness will only become more fierce.
There are many options for increasing your pay or making more money, but you must use strategy, understand current job market conditions, and be realistic about achieving your goals.
Here are five jobs that will disappear within the next decade to AI, how to protect yourself and your current pay grade.
5 Jobs That Will Disappear to AI Soon
Store Cashier
The average salary of a store cashier is about $27,000. However, if you’ve been to a fast food joint or supermarket since the pandemic winded down, you will notice that automated kiosks are becoming the norm and will only expand. Unless things change soon, the cashier job will be gone a lot faster than sooner.
Travel Agents
Believe it or not, the typical travel agent job pays about $39,000. Many people still enjoy having their trip itineraries planned by actual human beings. So, while this job profession may last longer than say cashiers, it is bound to become obsolete too.
It is just too easy to book flight or hotel tickets online now – and anyone can do it. If you are a travel agent, hold onto your clientele and use social media and your connections to incrementally reach new clients daily. Older people, group travelers and travelers who like to have their itineraries planned out for them love utilizing human travel agents.
Fast Food Workers
No one needs to tell you that flipping burgers is not a desirable career path for anyone. A job is a job, but working a corporate fast food job is not going to make you quick money.
The base pay for most fast food worker positions, including cook, ranges from $12,000 to $24,000. Fast food chains are full of self-service kiosks now but the ugly open secret most won’t admit is that these same companies are also beta-testing robots that cook to replace these workers.
There are restaurants in Europe and Asia that are famous for being fully automated and dispatching fully cooked meals that have been operating for decades. This will only become the norm in the future.
Tax Preparer
The typical tax preparer makes about $47,000 annually. A CPA or an accountant is not the same thing as a tax preparer. Anyone can be a tax preparer. However, people are more inclined to use automated tax preparation software online than to pay a human to do the same thing.
Taxi and Car-Based Delivery Workers
The amount of money that taxi drivers and delivery workers make is really based on how much they work and the number of hours that they drive. What most people don’t consider is that taxi drivers and delivery workers usually are work-for-hire employees who have to pay for all of their own expenses, like gas, insurance, and repairs, which is summarily subtracted from whatever money they make.
A report on Uber drivers living in their cars to maximize their earnings gained a lot of attention in 2019 before the pandemic even hit.
The typical taxi driver makes about $19,000 to $41,000 annually. However, those estimates don’t take into account the usual expenses that drivers incur and pay for out-of-pocket and reduce their pay. The baseline cost to maintain a car is $8,600 annually.
And let’s not forget that AI-enabled self-driving cars have been a reality for over a decade now. Amazon delivers packages by drone in some states. While human drivers won’t completely disappear, the pay advantage of being a taxi driver will become less practical a lot sooner than later.
What You Can Do to Increase Your Pay and Protect Yourself From AI Obsoletion
Always pay attention to job market conditions. Employers and corporations don’t fire people or lay them off for giggle most of the time. Inflation, the rising cost of doing business, and AI advancements are causing many businesses to consider the cost of hiring people against AI.
The crux of the Holywood strikes is the fact that advanced AI could make writers and actors obsolete much sooner than later after all.
You don’t have to like it, but you should be aware that AI could disrupt your earning potential in years to come.
Stay engaged with your employer and always keep a paper or digital trail of your work progress.
Always learn something new and improve yourself. Get new certifications, learn a new language, or take online courses to learn new skills. Give your employer multiple reasons for potentially giving you more pay to keep you or think several times before letting you for a new worker who will have to learn on the job and amass the new skills you keep accruing.
Always consider getting side gigs or starting your own business. There are always opportunities to make more money in the online economy, and that is a fact that AI won’t take away from humans for a long time to come.
Make a budget and update it regularly. Open a savings account and save as much money as you can from each check.
Lastly, talk to a retirement professional and make a plan for how to take care of yourself and your family in old age. The earlier that you do this, the better off you and your family will be.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.