Professional associations can help youth overcome AI anxiety — Joanna Baidu
Professional associations in the country can help the youth overcome their anxiety about Artificial Intelligence (AI) taking over their jobs, Youth Lead, Sub Saharan Africa of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Joanna Baidu, has said.
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With AI displacing a lot of jobs all over the world, she said that had created a lot of anxiety within the youth who do not know, which job AI would displace next.
From its Davos debut in 2023, ChatGPT took just seven days to hit the one million user mark.
According to UBS, it took Facebook 10 months and Twitter 25 months for the same; since then, the conversational AI model had come to be referenced as the new boogeyman amidst reports that it would likely replace humans in jobs.
Students across various educational institutions, therefore, have good reasons to be anxious.
According to the Institute of the Future, 85 per cent of the jobs that would exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.
There is no denying that AI will profoundly impact the future of work.
Generative AI holds the potential to take over segments of marketing, copywriting, design, legal work, etc., just like the innovations of the past decade did to cashiers or travel agents.
Ms Baidu said regardless of which jobs AI swallowed, it was prudent for the youth to commit to lifelong learning and upskilling.
“Joining a professional association is strongly recommended for students and early career professionals.
“Staying informed about trends, access to learning resources and being intentional about professional development will give the youth the head start to prepare for the future of work,” she stated.
Project management skills
She said the PMI’s Talent Gap predicted an increase in the number of jobs requiring project management-oriented skills due to economic growth and retirement rates.
She noted that these trends would create a global need for 25 million new project professionals by 2030.
“If the roles are not filled, it could result in a possible loss of up to $345.5 billion in global GDP,” she stated.
“Being a member of an association opens avenues to volunteer.
One can step into multiple “official” roles, such as youth ambassador and student coordinator, which will help develop skills,” she added.