The AI Clock is Ticking — Blake Johnson

When I think about the rapid acceleration of AI technologies, I can't help but feel a profound sense of urgency. I feel like I have my eyes glued to a chessboard that no one else is paying attention to. We are getting dangerously close to a checkmate, but everyone else is averting their gaze. So with my urgency and general apathy in mind - I am going to put a stake in the ground.

I think that ten years from now, 80% of US jobs will have been swept away by AI.

It's a staggering statistic to consider, one that forces us to confront some uncomfortable truths about the trajectory of our society. What's going to be left? It is hard to say. Industries once deemed safe from automation are feeling the tremors. Restaurants, transportation, teaching – no profession seems immune. As a parent, I find myself contemplating whether I'd trust AI over flawed human instructors to educate my children. The prospect is daunting, yet increasingly plausible.

Reflecting on my own journey, I can't help but marvel at the pace of change. Tasks that once took me years to master can now be accomplished in moments with the assistance of AI. The evolution is alarming, bordering on the surreal. It's as if we are witnessing the dawn of a new era, one where human ingenuity is temporarily amplified but ultimately overshadowed by the capabilities of machines.

In this new era, success hinges not on possessing all the answers, but on asking the right questions. It's a paradigm shift that challenges conventional notions of expertise and authority. If everyone has access to the same information, how do we distinguish ourselves? The old barriers of wealth and power may afford temporary advantages, but they are not sustainable in the face of relentless technological progress. Eventually, wealth, intelligence, and other qualities we historically used to gain social advantages will cease to matter. We will all be the same - spectators in a game we invented.

So what is there to do? I wish I had the answer. The best I can do for now is to pose the question. I will be keeping my eyes on the board. I urge you to join me.