How AI is reshaping different industries 

As Namecheap’s Undercover Geek, I’ve been following the buzz around ChatGPT and the many ways it’s changing the nature of work. Some people are excited about the possibilities of this technology, while others are wary of its potential to replace professionals from different industries. Will AI take away our jobs, or are there responsible ways to use ChatGPT and other AI tech as tools to work more efficiently?

To get to the bottom of this issue, I did an extensive sweep of what people are saying across the Internet about ChatGPT and investigated discussions about how it will change the work we do. This is what I found out. 

Is ChatGPT coming for our jobs?

ChatGPT’s ability to generate all kinds of written work sparks both hopes and fears about its potential impact on freelancers, small businesses, and knowledge workers.

If you follow tech blogs or mainstream news, you might well be terrified that you will be replaced by AI before the year’s out. And so far, it seems that many journalists are keen to capitalize on these fears about the new technology, writing sensationalist articles about how companies intend to downsize in the face of AI. 

For example, Wired published an article entitled Yes, ChatGPT Is Coming for Your Office Job, suggesting that some professions, such as telemarketers and liberal arts academics, might see major disruptions, while people who work with their hands will be less affected. But even Wired acknowledges that this fear may be overblown, pointing out that MIT graduate students discovered ChatGPT actually improves productivity and the quality of work even in language-centric jobs, which could allow professionals to focus on more complex tasks that AIs can’t tackle.

Meanwhile, many predict ChatGPT will replace writers and flood publishing with AI-generated stories, making it harder for human writers to get a foot in the door. Science fiction magazine Clarkesworld recently revealed that their submission queue had been overwhelmed with AI-written story submissions. And Sports Illustrated announced that they would be replacing work previously done by human writers with AI-generated content. Some writers fear that this trend could make publishing even more difficult for writers without privilege or connections, while Reuters suggests AI could make it harder for readers to find quality work on Amazon or other online bookstores. 

But AI isn’t perfect, and companies are starting to discover that relying on AI technology comes with its own perils, specifically involving content accuracy and ethics. As Search Engine Land points out, the magazine Men’s Journal recently published an AI-generated article that contained a whopping 18 mistakes. Sure, they cleaned it up later, but the magazine’s reliance on AI highlights real concerns about inaccurate health information becoming more common. As CNET found out the hard way, AI can do some of the writing, but people are still needed to fact-check and review the output to ensure it is accurate and appropriate for the brand.

In digging into this issue, I discovered that despite some fears about its potential, ChatGPT and other AI platforms are already being used effectively by many knowledge professionals, enhancing their work and making them more efficient and productive. Rather than replacing workers, AI is helping them be more effective and competitive in a challenging economy. 

ChatGPT can be a tool to help you do your job

Rather than replace professionals from different industries, ChatGPT can be a tool to help them do their jobs better. Here are a few ways that different industries have already embraced generative AI as part of their workflow.

• Real estate – Residential and commercial agents are now turning to ChatGPT to write snazzy listings, draft legal documents with flair, and make repetitive tasks a thing of the past, CNN reports. Iowa realtor JJ Johannes says it’s such a time-saver that he can’t imagine life without his new AI buddy. But the tool has some limitations, as it struggles with basic math. Andres Asion, a broker from Miami Real Estate Group, gushes, “I would easily pay $100 or $200 a year for something like [ChatGPT]. I’d be nuts not to!” The future of AI in the real estate industry is still uncertain, but as Johannes believes, “some form of artificial intelligence like this will become a big part of how we work.”

• Legal professions – At some firms, AI can now do lawyers’ dirty work. As Wired reports, AI is being put to work drafting legal documents, answering questions, and even writing messages to clients! But to the lawyers out there, don’t get too excited, because AI can’t replace a good old-fashioned human review. Plus, lawyers still need to make sure they’re not violating any data protection laws when they input client information to avoid any awkward legal blunders.

• Search engine optimization – AI tools such as ChatGPT can streamline the SEO research process by rapidly identifying suitable keywords, categorizing user intent, and clustering semantic keywords, according to Search Engine Land. With AI’s assistance, SEO professionals can focus on analysis and subtlety rather than manually devising formulas. However, to select the most fitting keywords, SEOs must still grasp what users seek to accomplish, rather than just concentrating on keyword quantity and word count.

• Advertising – No more wracking your brain for catchy headlines or clever ad copy. According to Search Engine Land, advertising pros can turn to Muse, new software developed by Fluency, a leader in AI-enabled advertising technologies. This new ChatGPT-enabled software can help ad professionals get the job done, even taking restrictions like character count and negative keywords into account. 

• Coding – It’s not surprising that there are lots of programmers and others in the tech industry experimenting with AI. One coder, Nick Babich, turned to ChatGPT to create a meditation app for iOS. As he describes on Medium, ChatGPT can be used to generate ideas for functionality, information architecture, color schemes, fonts, content, and even code for a timer. However, ChatGPT could not generate media content or an entire app in one go, and the generated output required analysis and refinement by a human. For those wanting to try their hand at AI-generated code, Udemy offers an inexpensive course on the topic.

• Writing – It seems like a no-brainer that writers can use ChatGPT to help them with their work. The AI can create outlines, generate titles, summarize articles, produce translations, and even put together presentations. Many writing tools, including Google’s suite of products like Gmail and Google Docs, will soon have advanced generative AI capabilities, and Grammarly, an AI-powered product long known to writers for its help with editing and spellchecking, will soon add its own ChatGPT clone to its product, with a beta of Grammarly Go launching this spring.

• Psychology – People are experimenting with using AI for therapy. Yes, you heard that right. You can now get therapy from AI. While the concept of AI therapy is still in its early stages, Fast Company describes how companies are already experimenting with AI technology to provide mental health support to thousands of people. Some professionals are using it to transcribe therapy sessions, generate summaries, and provide insights for discussions with their human therapists. Others use it for direct advice and support. But, as with any AI-generated text, there are limitations, and some experts are concerned that our sensitive data could be exploited for nefarious ends.

• Human Resources (HR): Need a job description or competency guide? ChatGPT can make short work of these tasks. HR professionals can also automate a number of routine HR tasks, such as scoring applicants and providing benefit documentation. As described by Fast Company, it can also assist with onboarding new hires, managing performance evaluations and other feedback, screening applicants, and even writing interview questions. But care still needs to be exercised to ensure salary ranges and other details are accurate and that applicant data is protected.

Can ChatGPT do your job?

AI has made a huge impact on society in such a short amount of time, and it’s impossible to know where it’s heading. But in my opinion, we need to view ChatGPT and its AI counterparts not as threats that could render professionals obsolete, but rather as invaluable tools designed to enhance productivity, foster creativity, and drive innovation in the workplace. With this mindset, we can combine our human cleverness with the power of AI to do our jobs better and faster than ever before.

When harnessed responsibly, AI has the potential to unleash a wealth of benefits without undermining the uniquely human skills and knowledge that we all bring to our jobs. Sure, it’s impossible to foresee exactly how AI will impact our workplaces, but it seems smart for all of us to learn and embrace the power of tools like ChatGPT. After all, who wouldn’t want a bit of extra digital oomph to boost their game in this fast-paced, tech-savvy world?

Check out my other article to learn more about how you can use ChatGPT in your business.