Three strategies for career success in an artificial intelligence-driven world

Don’t be afraid.

While many of us have spent a sleepless night or two contemplating a nightmarish future where machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) take over the world and enslave us all (think “The Matrix” or “The Terminator”), the truth is that scenario is pretty far-fetched. Less fantastically, many of us fear that the jobs we have today will be eliminated by AI.

“I firmly believe the future is in AI and that AI is a good thing,” says Ahmad Mostafa, PhD, PMP, core faculty member in the Doctor of Information Technology program at Capella University. “The jobs that are at risk because of AI are largely those that are based on simple repetition and that don’t take much critical thinking. For those jobs that do require critical thinking and a compassionate approach to managing people, AI presents many opportunities.”

And, no, we don’t all need to become data scientists to secure a place in an AI world. Mostafa offers the following strategies to prepare yourself for career success in an AI-driven future.

1. Flex your creative muscles

“AI cannot replace true human creativity,” Mostafa explains. “AI is forcing us humans to think more critically and creatively, and that’s a good thing. Humans have so much more to offer than simply executing on repeated tasks. Going forward, workers can’t do the same day-to-day tasks on repeat and not expect to be replaced by a machine. Fortunately, at Capella we emphasize critical thinking because we know those who keep learning and improving themselves are less likely to be replaced by AI.”

2. Nurture our empathy

What’s something else that AI can’t replace? True human empathy. “Never underestimate the importance and role of empathy in the workplace and career success,” Mostafa advises. The best people leaders and many of the most successful business owners are people who have high EQs. They have risen to where they are because they manage others with a deep sense of empathy.

“AI is never going to provide that compassionate ear and that empathetic understanding that a good people leader offers,” Mostafa says. “To become that sort of a leader, it’s critical to understand the complexities of human interaction. For example, many people attribute Starbucks’ success to its deep understanding and emphasis on empathy when working with customers. Machines can’t understand and show feelings like a human does. Leading with empathy will always be a skill that is critically needed and impossible to replace.”

3. Embrace it, don’t fight it

“Most importantly, don’t be threatened by AI,” Mostafa says. “Understand it. Embrace it. Think about how you incorporate it into your day-to-day work. If you are not using it now, you will be.” He adds that everyone’s career planning going forward needs to include a consideration of AI. Think seriously about what you do and what you have to offer and whether that realistically could be replaced by a machine. Then plan accordingly.

“AI is really not that different than any other technological advancement we humans have developed,” Mostafa concludes. “It may seem scary at first, but once you understand what it can do, and how it can benefit society, we come to embrace it. We already encounter AI in our daily lives—for example, when Netflix makes a personalized recommendation on what to purchase next. We just have to realize that AI is here to stay and plan for it in our work lives, too.”

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