“With AI tools still in their infancy, human oversight, input, and guidance are critical to eliminating AI bias and mistakes.”
Rohshann Pilla President, Aquent Talent
Is AI coming for office jobs? That question was the focus of a The New York Times article that explored some of the benefits and challenges posed by the technology. Specifically, the article focused on the new kind of automation—artificial intelligence systems called large language models, like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. A variety of research has found that the jobs most exposed to automation are now office jobs, those that require more cognitive skills, creativity and high levels of education. The workers affected are likely to be highly paid and possibly more likely to be women. This is a new dynamic as the American workers who have had their careers upended by automation in recent decades have largely been less educated, especially men working in manufacturing. But, some researchers are saying there are still uniquely human capabilities that are not (yet) able to be automated—like social skills, teamwork, care work, and the skills of tradespeople. The article notes that Aquent Talent uses a business version of Bard to efficiently conduct an initial review of workers' resumes and portfolios to find a match for a job opening. But, according to Aquent Talent President Roshann Pilla, the company still has recruiters screen matching resumes for other factors, such as lived experience, that may be relevant but overlooked by Al. While some fear that automation will displace less skilled workers and increase income inequality, others say it could actually decrease income inequality by lowering barriers to entry for more elite jobs that are well-paid.
This article originally appeared on The New York Times.
