Workers with an aptitude for explaining how artificial intelligence tools function in simple terms are more likely to find success in the job market, according to an economist who focuses on the economic impact of AI.
Robert Seamans, a professor of management and organizations at the NYU Stern School of Business, thinks such roles are just the kind of role that AI will create. Indeed, he expects AI to be a part of virtually every worker’s future, much as the internet became an integral part of daily life decades ago.
Meanwhile, the workers best positioned to benefit as generative AI tools like ChatGPT reshape the labor market will be those who understand how to use the technology to maximize their own performance, as well as how to test and train AI, Seamans said.
“AI will change the vast majority of the work we do, but it will affect each occupation in different ways,” he said. “A good analogy is to think about computers and the internet and how that changed jobs and the way we work.”
People who understand AI and, equally important, who are adept at explaining how it works in simple terms, will find themselves in demand, Seamans predicted. For example, he expects companies to recruit what he calls “AI explainers” or “AI translators” who can help managers better understand an organization’s AI tools.
“The job is to provide a simple layperson’s understanding of what’s happening under the hood,” he said.
“They don’t need to be the best computer scientist at creating and running large language models, but they need to understand enough about it so it’s clear they’re competent in that area and be able to talk about it to a broader audience,” Seamans added.
Another common role Seamans expects to emerge in the age of artificial intelligence is the “AI auditor” who checks AI for bias or factual inaccuracies.
“They would need to know enough about an AI system to run tests on it, and know what benchmarks to use to determine whether bias is there or not,” he said. “They could potentially have a legal background, too.”
Seamans also expects employers to step up their hiring of instructors who can train workers on how to use a company’s AI apps. His advice for workers, students and early-career employees?
“My encouragement would be for everyone to play around with AI and not assume there is one specific way you should be interacting with [AI],” he said. “Interact in a variety of ways because you’ll get different answers.”
