In 2035, when we are ruled by an evil AI, should I still aim to be an accountant?

Chat GPT Generated

I thought this would be a fun question to pose ChatGPT. Its answer:

If the world is ruled by an evil AI in 2035, then... honestly, being an accountant might not be your top concern. But let’s break it down seriously and with a bit of imagination:

Scenario 1: The Evil AI Wants Efficient Human Labor

• An evil AI might still need accountants to manage human-facing systems (e.g., ration credits, productivity quotas).

• You might become a “Compliance Accountant Level 3” in charge of ensuring all citizens obey the algorithm’s rules.

• Skills in auditing, logic, and data could still be valuable—though maybe applied in darkly creative ways.

Scenario 2: The AI Automates Everything

• Accounting could be fully automated. The AI handles taxes, audits, and financial forecasting with perfect accuracy.

• In this case, your skills might be obsolete unless you pivot to something like:

• AI compliance law

• AI resistance strategy

• Underground barter economy manager (i.e., black-market accountant)

What do you think? I thought it was pretty good. I particularly like the attempted humor (it was humor, right?). Mind you, the reference to ‘efficient human labor’ does sound rather dystopian.

As an illustration of AI’s current capabilities, it’s not conclusive. And yet, there is a glimpse into how AI will erode the previously protected domains of knowledge workers. The spark is there. The idea that where we may previously have sought expert advice (and paid significant sums of money for it), this could very well be replaced by sophisticated algorithms that ‘curate’ answers by reviewing and summarizing a mind-boggling amount of available data.

AI and its threat to jobs has very much been in the news. And rightly so. But is it any more of threat than previous major technological break throughs?

It’s a subject that Helmut and I have discussed extensively. Neither one of us can quite get our heads around the idea of the sci-fi inspired artificial ‘consciousness.’ Based on our reading, research, and experience playing with AI, the idea of a ‘general’ AI consciousness feels very distant. Not impossible to imagine. Just seemingly unlikely to emerge from current approaches and capabilities.

Now in 20-30 years, who knows.

This said, we both see how AI presents an existential threat to current ways of working. And some significant risks if used ‘badly.’

The temptation is to spread AI like a layer of secret sauce on everything. Thinking somehow it will magically result in better outcomes. The problem with that (and for that matter the approach generally) is that it can have some awful consequences.

There have already been some cases of AI showing its limitations and risks. For example, automating decisions on healthcare cover, insurance rates, acceptance to colleges. It needs tight monitoring to ensure it doesn’t enshrine biased or floored decision making.

Anyhow, our main interest is on thinking about careers, jobs, professions. How can we help people overcome this latest disruption in professional life?

Well, we’ve done two things:

1 – HR Today: we have agreed to curate a special edition of HR Today (their July/Aug publication) specifically on AI and careers. The idea is to publish different perspectives on how AI will impact careers over the next 10-20 years.

2 – Artificial Death of a Career (book 3): We have also been inspired to write a third book specially with a focus on how we keep our careers relevant, fresh, essential (more in this next month!)

In the HR Today magazine, Helmut and I have just finished our ‘anchor’ articles. I’ve taken a more extreme perspective. My dear friend Helmut has taken a more evolutionary perspective.

The truth is that predictions are prone to be hugely inaccurate. At least when it comes to specific predictions like flying cars and living to 150. Both were predicted at the turn of the last century and haven’t materialized.

But, at a trend level. Well, we think there is value in debating the macro themes and how they will impact existing jobs.

The fact is things like banking, accountancy, lawyers, engineers, HR professionals, well, there is a serious risk that setting yourself the goal to pursue that vocation will not guarantee you a long prosperous career. Our parents’ advice about “get a job in a bank, David. Or the civil service as a backup. It’s a job for life. And the pensions are great,” feels way off the mark today.

Where Helmut and I agree is that it is probably better to look at how we (humans) have adapted to previous big inflections. Most recently the age of the internet and digital services. Before that, the age of PC’s and spreadsheets, scientific management and the emergence of mega corporations.

If we put aside the titles and currency of the job market and look at what differentiates people who succeed. How some stay relevant and in demand, we can see recurring patterns.

Darwin’s theory as it’s applied to people and careers. The thing about change, about adapting, is that it is selective. It does leave some people behind.

Change and reinvention is difficult. Particularly as we mature.

Interestingly the point about age isn’t that we lose the ability to change, to reinvent, to adapt. It’s because we choose not to. We have lives that become very dispersed. Work because less central to our existence.

But we can learn a great deal from those who keep reinventing themselves.

Seeking adventure, seeking new experiences. These are things that can provide their own rewards. Tapping into the behaviors and psychological framing that puts AI into that domain is transformative.

It moves from, “oh gosh, I’m too old for all this stuff.” Or “I like being the master of my domain… now this new technology introduces chaos into my tightly rehearsed routine.”

To….

“Wow, I asked Chat GPT what an accountant might do if we’re ruled by an evil AI and it came up with some fun answers!” And…. Then it got me thinking… maybe I could use AI to automate the pieces of my job I don’t like.

Or better still….

I’m going to build an AI Agent that helps me launch a new business venture. I can be in two places at once. It’s like a digital clone. One that works tirelessly to help me build a new side hustle.

One day, perhaps quite soon, I might make the side hustle my main hustle. Switch it out for the boring corporate existence I now realize I’ve been putting up with for far, far too long!

bah hah hah… says an evil electronic voice… I have other plans for you…I need enforcement accountants!