As AI continues to advance, concerns about job displacement are growing, particularly in creative industries. Now, OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati suggests that creative jobs will become obsolete, reasoning that this is okay because “maybe they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”
Fortune reports that the rapid development of artificial intelligence has sparked widespread debate about its potential impact on various industries, with the creative sector being particularly vulnerable. In a recent interview with her alma mater, the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth University, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati addressed these concerns, suggesting that while some creative jobs may indeed disappear, it might not necessarily be a negative outcome.
Murati’s statement, “Some creative jobs maybe will go away, but maybe they shouldn’t have been there in the first place,” has ignited discussions about the future of work in creative fields. While she didn’t specify which jobs she was referring to, her comments come amid ongoing controversies in the entertainment industry, where screenwriters and actors went on strike in 2023 over the use of AI in Hollywood.
The impact of AI on the job market is already being felt, particularly in the freelance sector. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the number of freelance jobs posted on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr has dropped by as much as 21 percent since the introduction of AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E. These statistics highlight the growing concern among creative professionals about their future job prospects.
However, Murati also emphasized the potential benefits of AI, viewing it as a tool to enhance creativity and expand human intelligence. She stressed the importance of educating people about AI capabilities and integrating these systems into existing workflows. “I really believe that using it as a tool for education, creativity, will expand our intelligence and creativity and imagination,” Murati stated.
The discussion around AI and job displacement extends beyond OpenAI. Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of online learning platform Coursera, cited a University of Pennsylvania statistic suggesting that 49 percent of workers could have half or more of their tasks exposed to large language models like ChatGPT. This high rate of potential impact highlights the urgent need for reskilling and adaptation in the workforce.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also been vocal about the inevitability of job displacement due to AI. In a July 2023 interview with the left-wing Atlantic, Altman stated, “Jobs are definitely going to go away, full stop.” This frank assessment from industry leaders underscores the seriousness of the situation and the need for proactive measures to address the changing job landscape.
While the exact extent of AI’s impact on employment remains uncertain, Murati suggests that jobs most at risk are those that are “strictly repetitive” and not advancing creativity or problem-solving. This perspective aligns with the broader industry view that AI will likely automate routine tasks while potentially creating new opportunities in fields that require higher-level thinking and creativity.
Read more at Fortune here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
