ChatGPT has all the signs of being a technological game-changer. But will ChatGPT take your job? A chatbot powered by machine learning and vast amounts of data, it interacts with users in an incredibly realistic way.
But this OpenAI-created model does much more than just carry on virtual conversations. It can generate content like poems or term papers, debug code, answer queries, and more. This is an exciting development. But on a personal level, it’s more than a little worrying – particularly regarding its impact on job security. If technology reaches a level where it can perform your job as well or better than you can, what are you going to do for a living?
Most people have spent their entire careers working in one field. Are they all supposed to become carpenters or massage therapists? And if so, won’t the competition for those roles be intense? How will we survive? The thought alone is enough to induce a full-on panic attack. But relax. Breathe into a paper bag if you need to.
Things are not as desperate as all that. You’re going to be fine. Airplanes have a complex system of autopilot and, during a flight, are controlled mostly by computers, but pilots are there sitting and tuning the computer’s controls whenever needed.
Yes, on a long enough timescale, technology will eventually assume your current role. However, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are still in their infancy, and you’ll (hopefully) be long since retired before the machines come for your job. And before that happens, the power of tools like ChatGPT will allow you to perform your role with much greater efficiency and effectiveness.
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In this piece, we’ll take a look at some of the jobs most likely to be impacted by ChatGPT and rate their security on a scale of 1-10, with one meaning no chance of replacement by machines and ten meaning polish up your resume, because you’re about to get your walking papers.
Is Your Job Safe From ChatGPT?
Search Engine Optimization Professionals
Considering this is a Search Engine Journal, our very first area of concern is about the future of SEO jobs. There is no question that ChatGPT and similar programs will change how SEO professionals work. But this is search engine optimization – change is the only constant. And it’s already being employed by some professionals in the industry. From keyword research and strategy to content creation and reporting, ChatGPT shows great potential. But that doesn’t mean it’s coming for your job.
For one thing, no matter how powerful AI-powered programs become, they’ll never be humans, which means they’ll never have our creative ability or mental quirks (although ChatGPT is producing some impressive creative work). Current AI systems need both guided training from humans and human input to train, which limits their knowledge of current and recent events and makes work produced by humans a core part of how they function. It also needs human fact-checkers. And let’s not forget that Google now, Google considers AI-generated content to be against its guidelines. Although, the use of anti-AI-detection algorithms isn’t failsafe,
Most businesses serious enough to employ an SEO professional (which should be all of them) shouldn’t be willing to risk the negative impact of getting flagged as spam. Machine-driven SEO will also struggle to reconcile conflicting information and determine what is accurate.
For the foreseeable future, it seems there will be a need for humans to oversee any AI-driven SEO efforts, offering creative input, providing strategic direction, and making adjustments based on shifting search tides. But one of the key features that keep coming up in discussions about ChatGPT is its ability to write code. Imagine it – code writing new code, never forgetting a decimal or closing bracket. It sounds like a home run. Additionally, ChatGPT has shown an ability to pass certification exams, which could raise the bar for entry-level jobs and make it harder for junior developers to find positions.