Is AI actually taking up my job?
A couple of years in the past, I by no means thought robots would come for the artistic business. However right here I’m, a author who constructed my profession via phrases, now staring down the truth that synthetic intelligence (AI) can churn out articles in seconds — and at no cost.
Inside just a few months of ChatGPT’s launch, generative AI grew to become much more superior, now able to churning out photographs, movies and even music. My finest good friend, who drew the long-lasting Finances Babe graphic that you just guys have seen on this weblog for the final decade, spent shut to twenty years honing her creative illustration expertise. However right now, Midjourney, DALL-E and Leonardo AI are actually capable of create and replicate graphics in nearly any artist’s fashion. A few of you might need even tried it out just lately, whenever you generated your individual Studio Ghibli-styled photographs on ChatGPT these days.
Supply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8b2wnUi1UU
The know-how has superior past simply nonetheless textual content or photographs. Instruments like HeyGen and Synthesia now means that you can create movies with out even filming them your self, and have your avatar communicate in over 100+ international languages to succeed in a wider viewers.
However worrying about AI taking up our jobs won’t assist us to cease the waves of change.
As an alternative, we will discover ways to surf and trip these waves to welcome the long run.
Right here’s what I’m doing to maintain myself related, and what you are able to do, too.
Embracing AI could make us higher at our work
Many employees who’re unable to replace their expertise as wanted find yourself dealing with wage stagnation, whereas employers concurrently complain that not sufficient employees possess the mandatory expertise.
So in right now’s context, which means:
- embracing AI,
- studying learn how to work with AI instruments, and
- continuously upgrading our expertise to stay related.
That’s the reason amidst my busy schedule, I’ve taken time to be taught – and apply – utilizing AI instruments to write down and generate my content material quicker. Due to ChatGPT, I not endure from “writers’ block”. Canva AI has helped me to create visible graphics that I in any other case couldn’t conjure up on my own.
Determining learn how to use these new instruments felt difficult at first, however it has gotten simpler over time. Fortunately, Singapore’s Finances 2025 has launched a number of initiatives to help our studying.
Lifelong Studying is extra important than ever earlier than
The Authorities’s current Budgets rolled out vital enhancements to the SkillsFuture initiative. Particularly, the SkillsFuture Degree-Up Programme (SFLP) for Singaporeans aged 40 years and above supplies:
- A SkillsFuture Credit score (Mid-Profession) High-Up, which supplies a further $4,000 credit score to offset course charges for over 7,000 chosen programs aimed toward enhancing employability.
- SkillsFuture Mid-Profession Coaching Allowance for Full-Time Programs: Eligible people can now apply for a month-to-month allowance of as much as $3,000 when endeavor chosen full-time programs.
- SkillsFuture Mid-Profession Coaching Allowance for Half-Time Programs: As introduced at Finances 2025, beginning early 2026, eligible people endeavor chosen part-time programs can obtain a set allowance of $300 per 30 days to assist defray studying bills.
- Eligible people can obtain a most of 24 months of coaching allowance underneath the SkillsFuture Mid-Profession Coaching Allowance, whether or not they pursue full-time or part-time coaching.
For example, maybe you’re employed in finance and also you’re making an attempt to be taught AI to use to your work. Utilizing your SkillsFuture Credit score for a course just like the one beneath might considerably cut back your price of research:
Or maybe you’re making an attempt to pivot to the healthcare business (which my sister did), to be able to serve and assist deal with the rising ageing inhabitants in Singapore – an important facet of care that requires a human contact and understanding past the capabilities of AI.
There are numerous programs out there so that you can use your SkillsFuture Credit score on, so it’s possible you’ll browse the web site to seek out what fits you finest.
Observe: For those who have been between the ages of 25 and 39 years previous in 2020, you’d have acquired $1,000 SkillsFuture Credit score in whole, of which $500 will expire on 31 December 2025. I used mine in 2023 to review for a licence associated to my business which I’ve all the time needed, and the SkillsFuture Credit score got here in helpful because it decreased the associated fee for me.
If you flip 40, you’ll qualify for a further $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit score (Mid-Profession) top-up to additional help your upskilling wants.
So long as you place your self strategically to select up the brand new in-demand expertise that employers search, price doesn’t must be a limiting issue.
There’ll all the time be methods to faucet on such authorities schemes to assist us subsidise or finance our studying charges.
Workforce Transformation is important, too
To stay aggressive, employers will even have to adapt and remodel their workforce, and undertake AI applied sciences to make their enterprise extra environment friendly.
To assist companies alter, a number of initiatives have been introduced:
- A brand new SkillsFuture Workforce Improvement Grant, which streamlines present workforce transformation schemes and supplies greater funding help of as much as 70% for job redesign actions.
- A redesigned SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit score: to assist employers defray the out-of-pocket prices for workforce transformation upfront as an alternative of getting to spend first and look ahead to reimbursement. All firms with not less than 3 resident staff will get a contemporary $10,000 on this redesigned credit score from the second half of 2026.
- $200 million for NTUC’s Firm Coaching Committee grant: the grant will even be expanded to help employer-led coaching that results in formal {qualifications} or certifications.
In embracing AI, one of many initiatives my employer applied was to introduce automated AI note-taking to cut back the necessity for us to write down post-meeting minutes. Concurrently, it enabled those that missed the precise conferences to catch up in a jiffy!
For example, should you’re in a enterprise dealing with items, maybe you’ll wish to implement automation know-how in order that much less time is spent manually monitoring stock to give attention to serving prospects higher.
Take Actionable Steps to Future-Proof Our Profession
I actually consider that once we stand within the face of challenges, our outlook could make a marked distinction to our psychological well being and decide how we adapt.
We are able to both fret over how AI is “stealing our jobs”, or give attention to changing into the employee who is aware of learn how to use AI instruments for higher output than what our colleagues and friends can do.
Listed here are some actionable steps you’ll be able to think about taking:
- Assess your present expertise gaps: Determine areas the place AI might impression your position and business, learn up on the newest instruments and watch tutorial movies of learn how to use them.
- Discover related programs: With SkillsFuture Credit score given to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above, you’ll be able to enrol in programs that align with rising business traits and calls for. Contemplate making use of for the month-to-month coaching allowances to defray your bills additional.
- Combine AI to finish your present duties: One of the simplest ways to grasp a ability is thru apply. Strive leveraging free AI instruments for a begin. It could take you somewhat longer at first, however with sufficient apply, you’ll finally discover that AI can prevent time and improve the depth of your experience.
As an alternative of making an attempt to stay to our previously-established methods of labor and lamenting how “the nice previous days are gone”, I want to channel my consideration to in search of out alternatives within the new paradigm of labor.
What’s extra, even DBS has introduced that it expects to create 1,000 new AI-related jobs. This shift could possibly be a chance for the employee who’s keen to select up new AI instruments and apply for these new roles. The wage calls for for these roles are prone to be greater as properly.
Conclusion: Adapt and Thrive
Whereas AI presents challenges, it additionally affords alternatives for development and progressive pondering. AI instruments have already helped to hurry up a few of our work processes. Those that discover ways to leverage these instruments will turn out to be extra aggressive sooner or later, so you actually don’t wish to be falling behind with the occasions.
We can’t cease the waves of technological adjustments from disrupting our industries, however we will select to proactively upskill ourselves in order that we’re geared up to make use of these new instruments – to provide even higher work than earlier than.
The selection is as much as us.
Disclosure: This text is delivered to you in partnership with the Ministry of Finance.
