Is AI Going To Eliminate Six-Figure Gigs? Here’s What ChatGPT Says

nuttapong punna / Getty Images
nuttapong punna / Getty Images

AI chatbots like ChatGPT have gained widespread use, and workers are beginning to worry about what the future could hold. Will AIs like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini replace high-paying jobs in the future?

Here’s what ChatGPT and experts in the field had to say.

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Is AI Currently Good Enough To Replace High-Paying Jobs?

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said over 100 million users visit ChatGPT every week. And Google recently released version 1.5 of its Gemini Pro AI model, which integrates with Google search results to give users more accurate information. But are these models good enough to replace an employee?

While the use of ChatGPT in academic and some professional situations is frowned upon or not permitted, many students and workers have been caught using AI and passing it off as their own work. Sydney University in Australia recently disclosed that it had caught over 330 students plagiarizing using artificial intelligence.

The fact that they were caught does imply that AI models may not currently be good enough to pass their work off as human. However, teachers have trouble proving AI use in student papers, because so-called “ChatGPT detectors” are not always accurate.

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AI Hallucinations Mean Human Experts Are Still Needed

According to OpenAI, ChatGPT 4, the company’s newer, paid model, was able to pass a simulated bar exam with a score that would place it in the top 10% of students. However, a lawyer in New York learned the hard way that he could not rely on ChatGPT when his filings were found to contain references to non-existent cases.

Steven A. Schwartz, a New York-based lawyer, used the chatbot to help him prepare a brief that cited previous court decisions. The brief was meant to argue why the judge should rule in favor of his client based on precedent. However, it turned out that those previous court decisions never existed. ChatGPT had made them up in a phenomenon known as “AI hallucination.”

When asked about something that never happened or does not exist, ChatGPT may make up events and details, something that seems like a misguided attempt to please the user. It’s estimated that these hallucinations may make up around 3% to 10% of responses to users, as reported by SiliconAngle.

For example, Dagnachew Birru, a global head of research and development at data science company Quantiphi Inc., asked ChatGPT “how Mahatma Gandhi used Google LLC’s G Suite to organize resistance against British violence,” SiliconAngle wrote. The chatbot responded that Gandhi: “created a Gmail account and used it to send emails and organize meetings.” This is obviously false, since Google didn’t exist when Gandhi was alive.

Because of the risk of these hallucinations, replacing a human expert with AI does not seem to be currently feasible. In high-paying jobs, the quality of the work provided by the employee may be too important to risk such mistakes.

AI could be a good tool to assist employees with things like research and repetitive tasks, as long as a human expert carefully reviews the output. However, in situations where the consequences of making a mistake are serious, it’s probably best to avoid using ChatGPT. Users may grow complacent over time or miss a serious mistake accidentally.

Will AI Take Over Six-Figure Jobs in the Future?

So what about the future? Will ChatGPT or another AI model become good enough to replace human experts? Goldman Sachs predicts that around 300 million jobs globally could be exposed to automation with ChatGPT or other AIs.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of these jobs will be replaced, just that AI automation could disrupt them to some degree. In its report, the company notes that this may be a good thing in the long run — historically, new jobs are created when old ones are replaced by technology, and AI is likely to increase global GDP.

Unfortunately, this might not always work so positively on the individual level. Someone who spent their whole life breeding and training horses might not respond enthusiastically when you tell them their job will disappear, but many new jobs were created for auto mechanics with the rise of the automobile.

What ChatGPT Has To Say

GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT 3.5 what it thought on the subject, posing this question: “Will you replace six-figure jobs in the future?”

ChatGPT’s Response

It began, “AI’s impact on six-figure jobs is a topic of considerable debate and speculation. While AI and automation technologies have undoubtedly transformed various industries, the extent to which they will replace high-paying jobs remains uncertain.”

The chatbot pointed out that AI plays a role already in automating tasks for many professions, like algorithms to execute stock trades, analyzing data and offering investment advice for financial professionals or assisting healthcare professionals with diagnostics, analyzing medical images and predicting outcomes for patients.

ChatGPT continued, “However, these advancements do not necessarily mean the wholesale replacement of six-figure jobs. Many high-paying professions require a unique combination of skills, expertise and human judgment that AI struggles to replicate. For instance, in law, while AI can assist with legal research and document review, the ability to interpret nuanced legal principles and provide strategic advice based on complex scenarios remains firmly in the realm of human lawyers.”

It also acknowledged that it lacks the “inherently human qualities” of interpersonal skills, empathy, intuition and creativity, which are required for positions in leadership, counseling and creative direction.

“Furthermore, as AI continues to evolve, it is more likely to augment rather than replace human workers in these roles,” ChatGPT said. “Instead of displacing professionals, AI technologies are increasingly being integrated into workflows to enhance productivity, accuracy and decision-making. For example, in manufacturing, AI-driven robots work alongside human workers to increase efficiency and safety.

“In essence, while AI will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of work, it is unlikely to entirely replace six-figure jobs. Instead, the most probable scenario is one where AI and humans collaborate synergistically, with each leveraging their unique strengths to drive innovation and productivity in the workplace.”

Final Take

ChatGPT seems to think that AI is a tool that will increasingly be used by human experts without replacing high-paying jobs. However, it can be hard to predict the future. If you are a young person deciding what to study, it may be a good idea to consider possible AI disruption when preparing for your career.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Is AI Going To Eliminate Six-Figure Gigs? Here’s What ChatGPT Says

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