The Artificialist Papers #1

Written By Jalen Gonel
Originally published April 21, 2023

This is the first of a series of essays regarding the future of work, published by Bredcrums AI. Each essay is written for the time of its publication. If revised, it will be noted. 

Note: This article may sound somewhat alarming to some. However, I felt I owed it to people to explain the true state of AI, evidence-backed. 

If you have an office job artificial intelligence is going to affect you, if it hasn’t already. Life is going to change. Science fiction scenarios of robots taking over jobs are no longer hypothetical, but an inevitability. OpenAI themselves published a report stating as many as 80% of workers could be affected. Some people will lose their jobs, some industries more than others. Some industries will gain workers, and some won’t change at all. Truly, I believe AI will be the greatest advancement humankind will ever achieve. While more jobs and industries than we can think of will likely be created, that does not negate the likelihood that humanity will have a difficult transition period to get there. 

Why do I say this? 

Here is what GPT-4, the AI model powering ChatGPT, has achieved:

In the grand scheme of things, this technology is just a baby. You thought computers advanced rapidly? They had many limitations to contend with. They were limited by manufacturing speeds, global supply chains, and human designers, who had their own set of limitations.  

AI is different. 

AI is not hardware. It can get better on the same servers it occupies. It doesn’t get tired, it can teach itself, and can live lifetimes in a day. It isn’t as capable as humans at everything, yet. But consider where it was a year ago. Irrelevant. Today it writes symphonies and makes rap songs that don’t exist.

It was demonstrated during the pandemic that humans have a hard time fathoming exponential growth. ChatGPT is just the beginning. AI will get smarter faster than you can comprehend. Very soon, we will live with intelligence far greater than our own. If anything, the amount of resources companies and governments are investing speaks to that future.

This technology will become widespread. It is cheap, gives answers in real-time, and if we assume a business’ prime goal is efficiency and profit maximization, going to mean the loss of many jobs in the short term. While some industries’ customers may shy away from AI, as was the case when Levi’s announced they would use AI to design new jeans, many background workers will not have the luxury of market protection. Like in show business, the offscreen workers are more expendable than the talent.

What do I do to stay competitive in the market? What will be the extent of government intervention, if any? How fast will AI adapt?  How are you, Jalen, so confident? Are you fear mongering? 

Do I have all the answers? No. But, many predictions I have made have come to past in the following months. As someone exposed to AI’s recent advancements and technology, and as one who has had real-world experience within world-class companies in various industries, I feel I have a perspective worth sharing, even as someone who is only 23. 

Unlike many AI companies which have blossomed as of late, I feel it is owed to people to understand fully the severity of the current state of this environment. 

This is the introduction of an evidence-backed series of essays I will be putting out that explain the current state of AI, my company Bredcrums AI’s stance, and actionable steps you can take to make yourself competitive in this AI future. 

Upcoming Topics: 

  • Creation to Curation, and the Future of Work

  • The ‘H.A.M’ Sandwich, What AI Will Never Touch

  • Prompt Engineering: Supercharge your ChatGPT Use with these 6 Tips

  • How to Become a Human ChatGPT

  • Bredcrums AI’s Theory on the Future of Learning

  • Various Questions (Your Comments Answered!)

Inspired by Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Papers of 1787, AI will be just as life-changing as the birth of a new nation. I like many others say much more. 

It truly is a Brave New World.

Jalen Gonel