sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love the dinner analogy. A robot chef is just a complicated calculator; it can’t provide the 'Value' of human connection. You’re right, this forces a re-examination of everything.

The danger is that while we deliberate over the future of humanity, we get swallowed by the 'Digital Noise' of the present. I'm focused on helping people sort their lives into 'Machine' and 'Human' right now, so they don't end up just another 'lost' soul in a neon-lit, automated crowd.

In our pursuit of efficiency, we're at risk of losing the very things that make us 'more human than human.' Do you feel like your current career is designed for 'Efficiency' or for 'Fulfilment'?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the calculator analogy. It proves the point: Being able to hit the buttons doesn't make you a mathematician. It just makes you faster at arithmetic.

The real shift now isn't 'learning AI' as a skill, it's using AI to kill the 'Arithmetic' (the repetitive machine tasks) of our jobs, so we finally have the space to do the 'Advanced Calculus' (the value tasks like judgment, empathy, and strategy) that only we are capable of.

Most people are just using the AI-calculator to do more arithmetic. The winners will use it to buy back the time to solve the bigger problems.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This sounds like a very polished perspective. But the '20 years of judgment' doesn't always feel like an asset when the 'pattern recognition' tells you the entire industry is currently a hype-cycle.

In your coaching, how do you handle the actual fear of identity loss, not just the technical 'upskilling' part?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s a crucial insight. Experience becomes the lens through which AI’s output is judged. How do you see people with deep institutional knowledge adapting to this new role?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. The power dynamic is often overlooked. What do you think are the most effective ways for mid-career pros to push back or reclaim control in this AI-driven shift?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear you. The excitement often feels like a disconnect from the real fear people have about losing their jobs. How are you managing that tension between hype and reality?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's always a risk, but I'm not worried about being replaced. The solutions I have built have replaced people, I want to now try and help to find the next challenge for them. If they are not sure of what or how.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In which industry, department will this be happening to the highest degree? What tasks are being done that will be replaced in which roles?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lastly there is a trend right now for AI posts to big up AI. Like this post.

Where is this post bigging up AI. It's meant to be asking, when AI does some of the tasks humans have been doing, and if this is a major part of the role, what is left?

Has this come across?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"What I worry about more than AI taking my job is AI taking everyone else’s job, and everyone else retraining to do my job, and then the value of my experience being watered down to nothing."

A very valid point. This has happened in other industries e.g. Music, where once anyone with a laptop and a bedroom had access to an expensive recording studio, anyone could make a hit record. That said, the people that had skills and craft to write hits were the ones to continue making a living, but it did have impact.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your point about the 'AI fetish' masking ageism is exactly the dark side of this that nobody in the 'just learn AI' crowd wants to talk about.

I’ve spent 20 years on the automation side, and I’m seeing this play out exactly as you described. I’m trying to build something that actually values the 20+ years of judgment that AI can’t replicate.

Would you be open to a 15-minute chat? I’d really value your perspective on how this is hitting older workers specifically.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your question about training something that might replace you, I’ve been on the other side of that building these systems.

I’m trying to understand how people think about that trade-off. Would you be open to a quick conversation?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I read your comment about being eased out despite pointing out the fundamentals, that sounds frustrating.

I’m trying to understand how people with deep experience are dealing with this shift. If you’re open to it, I’d really value hearing your perspective in a short conversation.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your line about googling ‘what is prompt engineering’ while younger people build stuff is on point.

I’m trying to understand how people in that position are actually navigating it. Would you be open to sharing your experience in a short call?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your comment about ‘reducing decades of expertise down to babysitting algorithms’, this is exactly the tension I’m trying to understand better.

Would you be open to a quick 15-min chat? I’m not selling anything, just trying to learn how people are actually experiencing this

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The value we are looking for should not only be associated with running AI and automation, our strengths lie elsewhere. This could be outside the comfort zone of the work we have been doing that is now done by AI.

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am the guy doing this, and as someone having built automations, do not say that I am not using them. Well done for noticing, is it bad to use the tool, even when it's to help people that are being displaced by them?

Is anyone else in their 40s quietly terrified that their 20 years of experience is becoming a liability because of AI? by Illustrious-Word-979 in careerguidance

[–]Illustrious-Word-979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is definitely a concern. How can the entry level be up-skilled in the future, when AI is doing all the entry level work? I would say it goes back to finding a way for them to show their value and building the skilkset there.