Don’t Be Afraid Of The New Kid At The Job Fair: Artificial Intelligence – Forbes

Imagine being a recent graduate at a competitive job fair. You look to the suit-clad candidates on your left and right, and you start to wonder, Am I smart enough to compete with my peers?

But todays college graduates have a new question on their radar: Will I have to compete with artificial intelligence (AI), too?

In a word, no. I believe fears around AI wiping out jobs are largely overblown, but you cant fault new grads for worrying. A quick scan of tech news could lead anyone to believe that AI is the Grim Reaper of the job market. But attention-grabbing headlines dont paint the full picture; they overlook the historical impact of productivity-enhancing technology on a modern workforce.

Like every major technological advancement in the last 500 years, AI will change the way we live and work, but this isnt a bad thing. Todays nervous job seekers have no reason to panic; theres more room for AI to enhance their careers than to cause harm. To help new graduates ensure their value is fully appreciated, here are three best practices for them to keep in mind as they enter the workforce.

Collaborate; dont compete.

As humans, its natural to see other job candidates, or even co-workers, as potential competition. But when it comes to AI, job seekers should embrace the potential for AI to enhance their opportunities. The introduction of the calculator didnt eliminate the need for engineers; it made them more efficient, and AI will do the same.

In certain ways, humans will never stack up against AI; people cant crunch numbers and make data-driven predictions as fast as AI can, and it would be disheartening and beside the point to even try. But there are a number of uniquely human qualities creativity, innovation, compassion that employees can harness to add value where AI cant. The future of work isnt about trying to be better, faster or smarter than technology; its about working alongside it for better overall results.

I recently spoke with Tom Davenport, a leading expert on digital business, about the future of work for an episode of my companys podcast, The ConversAItion. As a longtime industry authority, hes had a front-row seat watching attitudes around AI and jobs evolve, moving from widespread alarm to a subsequent reality checkto todays relative calm. Despite shifting outlooks, hes never seen significant AI-driven layoffs.

Instead, modern businesses are committed to leveraging AI to augment existing jobs, rather than replace them. By combining smart humans and smart machines, both employees and technology can play to their strengths, giving businesses the best of both worlds.

Become a lifelong student.

Theres no reason for todays employees to panic, but its also no time to be complacent. With technologys rapid advancement, even a college education wont prepare them indefinitely. Its more important than ever for professionals to remain eager to learn long after the diplomas have been handed out.

New skill sets, even entire industries, are constantly popping up. Upskilling is paramount to collaborating with technology and keeping employees professional development on track. Its every employees responsibility to take control of their own learning and pursue training that will make them more valuable, but employers can be a major help here as well.

Shell, for example, just announced that it will enroll thousands of employees in online AI training to boost technical competency. As graduates begin the job hunt, its important to be on the lookout for companies with ongoing professional development programs to start a lifetime of learning on the right foot.

Embrace change; with upheaval comes new opportunity.

If you told someone 30 years ago that they could make a killing driving people around in their familys car or selling mattresses on the internet, they probably would have thought you were crazy. But with new technologies come new opportunities. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimated that AI could create 58 million jobs between 2018 and 2022 some of which we cant even begin to imagine yet.

New opportunities will arise within existing roles, too. As AI tackles the most monotonous and time-consuming tasks, employees will have more room to stretch. But whether theyre pursuing entirely new paths or shifting existing responsibilities, those who embrace change will be best positioned to reap the professional benefits of AI.

The bottom line is that AI is here to stay, and thats a good thing. While tomorrows workforce will certainly look different than it does today, new graduates will have the opportunity to work alongside AI from the very beginning. If they remain willing to collaborate with the technology and committed to ongoing learning, upcoming graduates can walk fearlessly into the job fair knowing they have what it takes to add value in the age of AI.

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Don't Be Afraid Of The New Kid At The Job Fair: Artificial Intelligence - Forbes