Only Humans Need Apply

How should we adapt to an AI-driven future? “The world the authors describe may be unsettling, but it is [one we] will likely live to see.” —The Wall Street Journal

Nearly half of all working Americans could be at risk losing their jobs because of technology. That includes millions of knowledge workers—writers, paralegals, assistants, medical technicians—now threatened by accelerating advances in artificial intelligence.

The industrial revolution shifted workers from farms to factories. In Era One of automation, machines relieved humans of manually exhausting work. Today, Era Two of automation continues to wash across the entire services-based economy that has replaced jobs in agriculture and manufacturing. Era Three, and the rise of AI, is dawning. Smart computers are demonstrating they are capable of making better decisions than humans. Brilliant technologies can now decide, learn, predict, and even comprehend much faster and more accurately than the human brain, and their progress is accelerating. Where will this leave lawyers, nurses, teachers, and editors? How do we find sustainable careers in the near future?

Only Humans Need Apply reframes the conversation about automation, arguing that the future of increased productivity and business success isn’t either human or machine. It’s both. The key is augmentation, utilizing technology to help humans work better, smarter, and faster. Instead of viewing these machines as competitive interlopers, we can see them as partners and collaborators in creative problem-solving as we move into the next era together. The choice is ours.

“A fine call to action in the face of uncertainty.” —Financial Times