The ChatGPT announcement triggered searches for jobs in functions exploiting artificial intelligence (AI). While it also heighted job security concerns, Google job search trends suggest that people, rather than sitting idle, react by exploring associated new possibilities.
ChatGPT triggered job searches
Work on large language models and artificial intelligence (AI) has been ongoing for some time now. There is a perception however that it has accelerated since OpenAI’s ChatGPT announcement in November 2022. The number of AI apps is increasing every day and so is the number of newsletters tracking them.
As a Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT), ChatGPT has raised concerns about the future of humanity among some and about job losses among many. An early assessment uses alarming terms and singles out news analysts, reporters and journalists as key victims. However, as nicely put in an EconTalk interview, it is advisable to approach AI trends with a relaxed mindset.
Tom and Jerry
To lighten the mood, let’s turn to the timeless cartoon “Tom and Jerry,” which continues to captivate audiences, including myself. Interestingly, these cartoons have occasionally been premonitory. About 80 years ago, an episode explored job automation: Tom’s role as a mouse-chaser was replaced by an AI-powered robot, shedding light on the potential obsolescence of certain jobs.
Tom, the determined cat, faced competition from a robotic cat that outshined him with efficiency, precision, and relentless pursuit of Jerry. Eventually, Tom lost his job as the mouse-chaser and felt disheartened. However, Tom eventually managed to recuperate his position. The explanation may lie in his employer’s realization of the limitations of emerging technologies and Tom’s ability to adapt and acquire new skills. More on the latter further below.
Google search trends suggest people exploit opportunities
Artificial intelligence offers opportunities. It allows a shift toward creative, complex, and uniquely human (or animal) roles that require emotional intelligence and critical thinking. New job categories emerge, and the trend of searching for such opportunities is already evident in Google search trends. The chart below exemplifies the basic idea of a difference-in-difference approach in impact analysis (see here for a primer regarding approach applied in a very different context). It illustrates the trends in Google job searches for three job families, before and after the ChatGPT announcement. Blockchain and crypto stagnate, while AI takes off.
AI is an opportunity
Rather than perceiving advancements in AI as a threat, it is more advisable to see them as an invitation to adapt and develop new types of jobs. In this regard, we can draw inspiration from the morals of Tom and Jerry cartoons, reminding us of the importance of embracing change. Google search trends suggest that this describes what might be happening: And that even in Germany, a country that is sometimes seen as reluctant to embrace change.
