When I was a kid, it was very popular to learn how to program. In theory, you learn logic, structured thinking, etc. but also, careers in programming are very high-paying.

In today’s world, learning how to program is like learning how to use an abacus. Fun, maybe. But also entirely obsolete because of advances in AI. Today’s engineers are high-level architects. Their job is to have taste, good judgement, and handle multiple AI agents. A particular company has essentially no need to hire grunt-level engineers because one engineer can do more work than ever before (and feeding/instructing AI is much easier than doing so for a human).

In fact, this same logic should apply to a host of other industries. We have seen an incredible rise in the number of lawsuits because it is now easier than ever to sue with AI. If our government were competently run, we could also improve the functioning of our legal system more efficient through AI-augmented judges. Accounting, finance, marketing, scientific research, data analysis will all be similarly affected in time.

The hold up is not in the raw ability of the technology, but rather in the incumbent organizations that are not set up to take advantage of these boons. It has long been known that big government and large companies are not good at innovation, and it is not for lack of resources. But I digress.

At first glance, you might think that specialists will be out of a job. Indeed, we no longer have professional abacus-users, and if someone were stubbornly attached to that profession, they might have trouble finding work in today’s society. But I actually think that most people will adapt. Being a specialist may be a point of pride for many, but it is rather demeaning to be treated as a person with only one narrow set of skills.

The short-term answer for those worried about their jobs in the age of AI is to become a generalist. Generalists think about the why, the big picture, the strategy and vision, the values and principles. Great generalists will use AI to create world-changing social enterprises, billion-dollar companies, and improve the lives of others. AI can and should be used as a tool, but for what is the most important question.