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Written by: Chris Heye, PhD
A few days ago, the power went out in my house. It was close to sunset, so I lit some candles. I have a gas stove so I could still cook dinner, though I was hesitant to open the fridge because I didn’t want to let the cold air out. My phone and computer were charged so I could continue to use those for a while, but I could not operate any of my kitchen appliances, listen to music on my powered speakers, use my computer monitor, watch TV, turn on the lights or the house fan, or charge my car.
Which got me thinking about AI. When people think about artificial intelligence, they often imagine chatbots, image generators, or tools like ChatGPT. But I think we are moving toward something much bigger.
AI is increasingly becoming foundational infrastructure – just like electricity.
A century ago, electricity transformed nearly every industry and every aspect of daily life. Factories, homes, communications, healthcare, and entertainment all evolved around electrification. Eventually, it became almost impossible to imagine society functioning without it.
I believe AI may be heading down a similar path. Over time, AI will quietly become embedded in almost everything we use:
• Cars, trucks and other transportation systems
• Manufacturing and logistics
• Hospitals and healthcare systems
• Financial and business software
• Appliances and consumer devices
• Smart homes and buildings
• Education and communication services
• Cybersecurity and infrastructure systems
At some point, “AI-powered” may become as redundant as saying “electricity-powered.”
That shift has created anxiety about job destruction. And many jobs will change, and some will disappear. But there is another side to this story. If AI becomes embedded everywhere, then someone has to:
• Design the systems
• Build the infrastructure
• Train and test the models
• Integrate AI into existing workflows
• Monitor and secure the systems
• Maintain and update the technology
• Govern how AI is used responsibly
In other words, a world saturated with AI may create huge demands for new types of work. Which makes me a bit more optimistic about AI and its impacts on work and jobs.
Somewhat ironically, the more pervasive AI becomes, the more human expertise may be required to implement it effectively. Every industry will need professionals who understand not only technology, but human psychology and behavior.
The transition may still be disruptive. But history suggests that major new technologies, like electricity, create a ton of new occupations and jobs. Electricity did not end employment. The Internet did not end employment.
In this respect, AI may not be so different.
The biggest question may not be whether AI replaces humans. It will be how humans learn how to work alongside a technology that is becoming embedded into nearly everything around us. This may ultimately determine whether AI creates as many jobs as it eliminates.
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