how will Artificial Intelligence change our jobs?

“AI will replace everybody!”, that’s what many people fear when it comes to AI. Reality is much more nuanced. First let’s see what an AI can or can’t do and then help you plan your future.

What can AI really do?

AI is already changing how we live. It helps doctors diagnose diseases, powers your favourite apps, and even drives cars. In the future, AI will do even more—like helping scientists solve climate change or making learning more personalized in schools.

But AI also helps you write faster, translate, draw, be creative, do some research for you… In shorter words, AI and more specifically Generative AI such as DeepL, Copilot, ChatGPT, DallE or Sora are personal assistants.

So, AI is great at doing boring, repetitive tasks—like sorting emails or analyzing tons of data. But it’s not so great at being creative, understanding emotions, or making ethical decisions. That means jobs that need human skills—like teaching, designing, caring for people, or leading teams—are safe.

Could we replace every human being by an AI robot?

This scenario is not likely to happen for sustainability reasons.

First, there’s only a certain amount of materials on Earth to create new computers and robots. There is not enough lithium, rare metals and gold (to name just a few of them) to replace every human being by an AI robot.

In addition, training and using big AI models requires a lot of electricity and drinkable water. So, even if scientists are working on ways to make AI greener and more efficient, humans are still more efficient energy wise to produce the same output as an AI.

What does that mean for me as a student?

AI is great at doing boring, repetitive tasks—like sorting emails or analysing tons of data. But it’s not so great at being creative, understanding emotions, or making ethical decisions. That means jobs that need human skills—like teaching, designing, caring for people, or leading teams—are safe.

AI also creates a lot of new jobs in data science, engineering, computer science, cybersecurity and robotics. All these fields are a good option since AI tools can’t create themselves.

In a nutshell, it’s better to choose a job that involves some kind of human interaction, that is not repetitive or that involves creating new AI tools.

Stay up to date!

Instead of replacing everyone, AI will work with us, like a super-smart assistant. But remember—no job is 100% safe or doomed. The key is to stay curious, keep learning, and adapt.

AI isn’t the enemy—it’s a tool. And like any tool, it’s up to us to use it wisely. So instead of fearing the future, get excited about it. Learn how AI works, find your passion, and build skills that make you irreplaceable.

Article written by Régine POUSSIN