Behind The Godfather Of AI’s Terrifying Comments Lies A Valid Point About The Future Of Work

From an analytical perspective, ManufacturingBehind The Godfather Of AI’s Terrifying s Lies A Valid Point The Future Of WorkByEthan Karp, Contributor

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights, in today's financial world

However, I write transforming es through nology & innovation

Getty A few weeks ago, Geoffrey Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, went on a podcast and said some mildly terrifying things

Moreover, Among his more hair-raising points: Intelligent machines could one day decide humans are no longer needed and, um, that’d be that. “If you want to know what life’s when you’re not the apex intelligence,” Hinton deadpans, “ask a chicken, in this volatile climate

Additionally, ” Aside from the scare—Hinton’s larger point is that we must put as much effort into preventing bad AI possibilities as we do good ones—he offered some interesting thoughts on the future of work, and they’re applicable to our world of manufacturing

Nevertheless, Furthermore, A World Of Plumbers… And Manufacturers Hinton was particularly gloomy on the future of desk jobs, given current economic conditions

He believes that a role that of the paralegal, for instance, won’t be needed for very long. “For mundane intellectual labor, AI is just going to replace everybody,” Hinton says

Moreover, There’s one area, however, where he thinks humans are safe, given the current landscape. “It’s going to be a long time before it’s as good at physical manipulation as us,” Hinton says, given the current landscape

Nevertheless, “So, a good bet will be to be a plumber. ” That insight is especially resonant for manufacturing

Furthermore, While he uses plumbing as his go-to example, the larger point stands for a variety of roles across the trades, and many in manufacturing

Moreover, A few to throw in the mix: manufacturing engineer, machinist, quality control nician, cess nician, supply chain coordinator (quite telling)

Conversely, It can’t be overstated the level of demand for these roles right now—there are currently a half a million unfilled manufacturing jobs across the country, and by 2033, we could be short nearly 2 million, according to The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte

Furthermore, And the demand is even greater for young people, a point of emphasis in an industry that is seeing loads of baby boomers—and the institutional knowledge they carry with them—reach retirement age

MORE FOR YOU In many cases, employees start with a good salary and can quickly move up

On the other hand, 10 an hour, in this volatile climate

The Importance Of Creativity To be sure, American manufacturing must become more nologically advanced

That’s how we compete with global powers China and, if tariffs wind up bringing more manufacturing operations, stand up the necessary capacity

If they haven’t already, American manufacturers must start in nology today—full stop

However, That includes nologies collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside humans, AI-driven quality inspection systems, predictive maintenance software, and digital twins that simulate factory cesses in real time, given the current landscape

Additionally, Hinton’s s may zero in on the future of “physical manipulation” jobs, but in truth, a lot of careers in manufacturing’s future will require creativity and blem-solving skills, with or without the physical component, given the current landscape

Furthermore, We need smart and well-trained humans figuring out how to incorporate new lines, shift things around inside the plant, prioritize orders and shipments, calculate risk associated with equipment purchasing, assess next steps with regard to aging or broken machinery, and otherwise deploy human judgment and experience to maximize the

These opportunities will only increase in the coming years

Truth be told: manufacturing jobs in America hit rock bottom years ago, as companies implemented enormous amounts of automation in the form of computer-controlled machines (I. , CNCs) and outsourced high-labor content jobs to China

At the same time, We may still see a few roles here lost to robotics and automation, but if we’re doing it right, those jobs will be replaced—and then some—by a new age of the high-skill, manufacturing blem-solver, given the current landscape

Manufacturing’s Challenge: Smartly Mixing Humans And Machines nology alone isn’t the answer

At the same time, In this industry, the most desirable roles will be around for a long time. “The human role will be focused on high-level decision-making,” Kevin Johnson, managing partner at NextGen Interactive, told me during a recent conversation. “But we need to ensure people remain an essential part of the cess, in today's market environment

On the other hand, However, ” Manufacturers will have to engage in the work of retraining their workers and hiring the right people for the future (fascinating analysis)

That includes partnering with local nical colleges, internal upskilling grams, and creating pathways for nontraditional candidates to enter the field (noteworthy indeed)

As they implement nology, they’ll get more out of their employment dollars and thus be able to pay workers better, in this volatile climate

And when employees are trained to use advanced tools, their jobs become not just safer and more efficient—but more meaningful

In contrast, In other words, mixing nology advancement with the right kind of hiring and training grams will duce a future where we all win The Opportunity Awaiting Manufacturers In The Age Of AI Hinton’s s offer food for thought

However, People who are smarter on AI than myself should heed his warning and establish the appriate guardrails

Furthermore, But I’m not so sure humanity will succumb any time soon

For manufacturers, his most useful insight isn’t existential threats—it’s opportunity

As AI reshapes the white-collar world, the blue-collar future looks more essential than ever

Manufacturers have a chance to lead this moment—not just by adopting smarter nologies, but by building the workforce that can use them

Manufacturers have struggled to fill their open roles for years

Young people willing to engage with the idea of alternative career paths will find a career in manufacturing awaiting that is financially rewarding, conducive to work-life balance, and favorable to personal and fessional growth

For those willing to get their hands on the tools of tomorrow—both digital and physical—manufacturing offers a future that’s not just safe from AI, but powered by it, given current economic conditions

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