AI says real jobs do not revolve around AI

 

I’m visiting a family member living and working abroad. It’s been really nice here except when it’s cold and windy or when I cry looking at prices here after converting them into ringgit.

In a career pivot, this family member left behind jobs with big corporate names in tech and online commerce and went into a job that’s least likely to be made redundant – nursing.

It’s as good a reason as any to choose a job. Working whilst constantly stressed about being laid off – which is basically what most jobs are nowadays except for government jobs – isn’t a good way to live your life.

It’s the same reason why I write. No algorithm can easily match my sanctimonious, sarcastic outlook on things. Not even AI can do it, because I am, as you can see for yourself, already AI. I basically have job security for life, which given my age, may not be saying much.

Anyway, I have always divided jobs into two categories – “real jobs” and “not really real jobs”. Real jobs are easy to explain, they’re those that humanity will always need – growing food, teaching children, healing the sick, keeping people safe etc.

They’re necessary, critical, and in my mind honourable jobs. Sure, tech impacts these jobs too, both positively and negatively. But people will always need them to survive, and therefore they’re of primary criticality to help us achieve survival.

Unfortunately, these jobs generally don’t bring in the big bucks. In fact, they’re not as respected or admired as they once were. If you’re a teacher, a nurse, a farmer or a fireman, you’d probably struggle to make ends meet and certainly won’t get invited to fancy events and places.

The “not really real jobs” on the other hand are jobs that have appeared in modern times. They include what I myself did for over four decades – prancing around corporate offices and boardrooms, chanting mantras about revenues and market share and culture, even if I was often chuckling inside about how ridiculous the whole thing was.

I made a good living helping to produce returns that made the shareholders happy. That part wasn’t much fun, because in many instances I didn’t really know who the shareholders were – there’re too many of them in publicly-listed companies – and where I did know them, I didn’t like them.

At the risk of insulting many corporate warriors currently fighting to improve ROI and branding and margins, don’t forget you’re just a cog in the wheel of a huge broken capitalistic system that’s consuming itself from within whilst the world burns, both literally and figuratively.

Sure, you can join the latest craze where everybody wants to own rather than just be the cogs and wheels. But what if what you serve or produce, even if profitable, sucks? Well, then you would probably suck too.

Does it mean we shouldn’t work in such “not really real” jobs? Of course not. Today’s society has become so totally skewed towards making money and has created monstrously rich people along with a huge and increasing number of poor people, and unfortunately most of us have no choice on how to earn a living.

But to the extent we do have a choice, do find jobs that’ll both put food on the table and also help other people in real ways – putting food on their own tables, healing them when they’re sick or equipping their children with knowledge and morals.

The pressure to earn more and spend more to one-up the next guy is exhausting on us and also on our planet. There are clear signs of strain already both on our society and on our planet, and the future doesn’t look encouraging.

There’s less desire nowadays to do these “real” primary level jobs anymore. They’re hard, sometimes dangerous, don’t pay well and are often in uncool places far away from the bright lights of the cities.

We instead focus on jobs a few levels removed from these “real” jobs – jobs in business or the bureaucracy supposedly helping these primary level jobs. We work with companies or the government to support or control these primary level “real” jobs, all the while growing further and further away from them.

Some of these jobs can be cool though. You get to play with fancy new toys – technologies such as digital and especially artificial intelligence (AI again…), or well-paying jobs such as finance, or powerful ones such as enforcers of laws and regulations.

Some of these jobs are also necessary in today’s world – how can we live without mobile apps or home deliveries or life insurance? But whilst these jobs can be lucrative, they come with high levels of stress and screw up the planet with income disparity and resources depletion and changing climates.

Then why did I stick to my “not so real” job for so long? Well, they put food on the table and took care of my family, for which I’m grateful. But the main reason was the joy of working with people towards achieving some common goals.

This involved working together to transform, compete and ultimately prevail. It did lead towards the success of the enterprise, but the goals that really mattered to me were not always financial – that would be much too boring. They’re more about working well together and watching each other succeed.

Whilst a dog-eat-dog environment can probably be more lucrative, working in a healthier, if less lucrative, environment is more wholesome and satisfying and healthy for the body and soul in the long run.

In today’s world, it’s called having a purpose, something bigger than just about building a huge bank account. It’s however not a concept invented recently. It’s always been around even if it’s increasingly being neglected in the constant pursuit of wealth and power.

During my career, I made many conscious decisions that prioritised other things more important to me than just money. I tried to leave behind a legacy of helping others rather than just helping some rich and remote and/or unpleasant shareholders become even wealthier.

So, it’s not an unpleasant surprise to see my own brood choosing jobs that are “real” – caring for others or seeking out and adding new knowledge or otherwise not taking their “not really real” jobs too seriously. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.