What AI Won’t Do

When discussing the impact of AI on the white-collar workforce, it's crucial to be transparent about its limitations.

The current hype surrounding AI can be misleading. Many consumer-oriented AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are still nascent. After all, it was only launched four months ago.

AI is not yet capable of delivering a polished final product for you.

You may have encountered anecdotes about students using ChatGPT for complete essay writing. While ChatGPT can generate coherent text, that doesn’t necessarily mean it should.

Earlier this year, CNET faced scrutiny after it was revealed that it was experimenting with AI-generated articles. Upon review, Futurism identified significant inaccuracies, such as erroneous calculations related to auto loans.

Growing concerns also exist regarding AI providing incorrect information.

This issue arises from the fact that AI can harbor biases.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology: > “Bias manifests itself not only in AI algorithms and the data used to train them, but also in the societal context in which AI systems are used.”

One instance of bias appears in hiring practices. Many companies now rely on AI to streamline recruitment.

As AI analyzes data, it identifies patterns. Amazon learned this lesson when its machine learning recruiting tools began to overlook female candidates.

The issue wasn't the qualifications of female applicants; rather, the AI was trained on data sets predominantly featuring male applicants.

Most importantly, AI cannot replace the necessity of actual work.

It is simply a tool.

As previously mentioned, students are leveraging ChatGPT for writing assignments. While it may assist students similarly to how Spark Notes aided me, it does not substitute for genuine learning.

Like students, white-collar professionals must still grasp their job's fundamental competencies to perform effectively. Tools such as email have streamlined work but haven’t eliminated the need to understand job responsibilities.

This distinction is essential in grasping what ChatGPT is—and what it is not.

ChatGPT will likely diminish job opportunities for white-collar workers, but it won’t completely eliminate the work required.

High-performing employees will remain relevant, and a significant aspect of their roles will involve utilizing AI tools to enhance their effectiveness.

Mastering how to use AI to support your existing work, instead of outsourcing it, is vital for positioning yourself for success in the future economy.

Here are several strategies to start using ChatGPT to enhance your work performance.

Brainstorming New Ideas

When searching for fresh ideas, ChatGPT can be a valuable resource.

Unlike Google, which sorts results based on its proprietary algorithms, AI analyzes vast amounts of data.

In the past, you might have skimmed the top five Google search results to perform a comparative analysis, assessing competitors and identifying value-adding opportunities.

AI essentially automates this process for you.

For instance, if you work for a tax preparation firm and need to explore new revenue streams, you might prompt ChatGPT with a request for suggestions.

One suggestion could be a tax preparation app—an ingenious concept.

Upon searching for “tax preparation app” on Google to validate ChatGPT’s recommendation, you’d find numerous software options.

Recognizing that your target audience is Gen Z—a generation comfortable with technology—you realize they may prefer filing taxes via a mobile app rather than desktop software.

This prompts the question: why hasn’t anyone developed this yet?

ChatGPT may also suggest workshops and checklists, which can serve as lead magnets for promoting a tax preparation app. In mere seconds, you’ve not only identified a new product to propose but also generated an entire marketing strategy.

This illustrates how you can leverage ChatGPT to brainstorm innovative ideas and enhance your workplace value.

Enhancing Work Quality

One of the most impactful ways to utilize AI in your role is by employing it to identify errors. Whether you’re writing or coding, AI can assist in proofreading or debugging.

For example, I provided ChatGPT with the opening paragraph of this essay, and it offered a grammatically sound revision:

The outcome revealed several missing commas. Dusts off Strunk and White.

Not only does this improve the quality of your work, but it can also save you time.

If your job involves a significant amount of writing, ChatGPT can help create templates for frequent use.

Here’s an example of a sales email targeting commercial property owners in Austin, TX:

Now, here’s a similar request aimed at residential property owners:

In just moments, AI can generate tailored sales email templates for two distinct customer segments. Again, this isn’t a final draft but serves as an excellent starting point that you can refine further before sending it to actual prospects.

Incorporating ChatGPT into your workflow allows you to identify errors while simultaneously producing content. This saves time and enhances your work's quality.

Reallocating Time to High-Value Tasks

With the time saved using ChatGPT, you can redirect your efforts toward more significant work.

From a business perspective, this signifies a fundamental shift in how human resources are allocated, which is why numerous jobs will likely disappear.

For instance, consider financial analysts. Instead of spending hours compiling data into spreadsheets, AI can streamline this process, enabling analysts to focus more on interpreting the data's implications.

This transition moves job responsibilities away from low-value administrative tasks toward higher-value activities, such as product development, new revenue streams, or business expansion—all of which have a direct impact on the bottom line and incur less overhead than data scrubbing in Excel.

As an employee, you can utilize this extra time to embark on new projects—whether those projects are work-related or personal endeavors, like acquiring new skills or developing a side business.

Time is our most precious resource. We all have the same 24 hours each day, and how you choose to utilize that time sets you apart.

When used wisely, tools like ChatGPT can free up your schedule for higher-value tasks. This is why many employers will begin automating tasks in the near future.

It’s not personal; it’s all about profit margins. If ChatGPT can enhance profitability at a lower cost, employers will gravitate towards that solution.

Facilitating Skill Development at Your Own Pace

Beyond integrating AI into your daily tasks, it can also be valuable for long-term projects, such as acquiring new skills.

Suppose you aim to acquire the knowledge of an MBA graduate but wish to avoid the financial burden of pursuing a degree.

You could ask ChatGPT for a list of recommended readings for MBA students, yielding useful results:

Utilizing ChatGPT in this manner allows you to create reading lists or customized study plans. Although it’s not a replacement for genuine learning, it provides an accessible way to get started.

Now, let’s consider the scenario where you want to learn a foreign language. Many self-paced learning programs offer generic tutorials or courses. AI enables you to customize your learning experience according to your needs and pace.

In this instance, I misspelled a common French phrase. I asked ChatGPT to correct my mistake:

Not only did it rectify my grammar, but it also provided an explanation of the error.

This feature offers immediate feedback, allowing you to learn at a pace that suits you.

Providing Constructive Feedback

ChatGPT serves as a tool to help you identify mistakes and learn from them.

During my time with the Department of Defense, we were required to complete After Action Reports following every mission abroad. While these reports were tedious to write, they were crucial for evaluating our performance and improving future outcomes.

After Action Reports serve as a method for assessing whether desired objectives were achieved. If they weren’t, it’s an opportunity to analyze what went wrong and adjust accordingly.

Consider this in the context of sports: teams and athletes review past game footage to pinpoint areas for improvement. They continuously evaluate their performance and gather feedback to inform future strategies.

How many white-collar professionals engage in this practice?

Employees lacking a review process within their workflow miss opportunities to assess their work. ChatGPT can bridge this gap, assisting you in identifying growth areas weeks or months after completing a project.

Preparing for Workforce Changes

These strategies illustrate how you can currently leverage ChatGPT to conserve time and enhance your work's value. As AI usage expands, it will only improve. Eventually, your current job may become obsolete.

To prepare for imminent workforce disruptions, consider implementing the following steps:

• Audit Your Value: Similar to financial audits, you can evaluate your own contributions. Assess how your time is allocated and identify areas where you can add more value. If you find yourself spending excessive hours on tasks like checking emails—common among white-collar workers—consider reallocating that time toward more productive activities. You can’t improve what you don’t understand, so conducting a self-audit is a wise starting point.
• Experiment with New Tools: Many individuals will face job automation—this is an undeniable reality. Avoiding new technologies out of fear will only hasten your job's decline. If you haven’t already, start experimenting with AI chatbots. Learn to craft prompts and discover how to integrate them into your daily tasks. The more proficient you become in utilizing these tools, the more valuable you’ll be to your employer.
• Boost Your Productivity: Employers prioritize results and profitability over who or what accomplishes the work. Begin using AI tools to elevate your output. Establish tangible evidence of your value to your current employer and demonstrate your ability to leverage new technologies for future opportunities.
• Diversify Your Income: The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for many white-collar workers regarding their financial vulnerability due to reliance on a single employer. Significant employment disruptions are occurring, signaling potential changes in how you earn a living. Just as you would diversify an investment portfolio, consider diversifying your skills and income sources. The era of having one career or employer for life is over.
• Embrace Originality: AI chatbots learn from existing information. If you produce content or ideas that are merely rehashes of what’s already available, you risk becoming obsolete. AI lacks emotional intelligence and cannot replicate the depth of human experience. Your competitive advantage lies in your uniqueness—your character and experiences. Focus on creating original work and claiming ownership of it.

Final Thoughts

Your objective isn’t to become an AI expert.

There’s no need to be a computer scientist or learn coding.

What’s essential is understanding how to utilize emerging technological tools as they appear.

By challenging yourself to stay ahead of the curve, you position yourself for survival in an increasingly competitive labor market.

Tools like ChatGPT provide a solid foundation. They can assist in idea generation, content development, creating customized plans, and delivering feedback.

However, they cannot perform your tasks for you—at least not yet.

What you should be wary of is AI questioning your job’s value in the first place.

If your employer determines you don’t contribute to profitability, your position may be eliminated before it can be automated.

Leveraging AI can enhance your efficiency and productivity, serving as a safeguard against future employment disruptions.

The more knowledge you acquire now, the better equipped you’ll be to navigate the workforce of the future.

Amanda Claypool is a three-time 9-to-5 dropout, twice a car dweller, and an inquisitive human. She writes about finance and cryptocurrency at Millionaire by Next Year and explores living well at The Unconsumer on Substack.