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Tell us: Do you think AI should take over your current job?

We want to know how you feel about artificial intelligence in the workplace.

The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. The White House said Friday that it has secured voluntary commitments from seven U.S. companies, including ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, meant to ensure their AI products are safe before they release them. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

By Annie Jonas

July 25, 2023

3 minutes to read

ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI have exploded in popularity in recent years, and we are witnessing the start of a new order for how the world – and the workplace – works.

Boston Consulting group recently surveyed nearly 13,000 people — ranging from executive suite leaders to middle managers and frontline employees — in 18 countries to understand their thoughts, emotions, and fears about AI.

They found that overall, people were more optimistic than concerned about AI. But there were major differences in opinions on AI between leaders at the top and employees on the frontline.

Leaders were much more optimistic than frontline employees about AI (62% vs. 42%), with 80% of leaders saying they use generative AI regularly.

“This tale of two cities should inform organizations as they implement AI and generative AI,” the report said. “Leaders should make sure that they do not get ahead of their people and leave their frontline behind.”

As a life sciences and technology hub, Boston is poised to be a major beneficiary of AI jobs, according to a report from the Brookings Institution.

In the past 10 months, Boston and five other metro areas, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle, accounted for 47% of advanced or generative AI job postings, according to Brookings.

As recently as May, Brookings found 60% of new generative AI jobs posted in the top 15 markets, including Boston.

Apart from working in the AI sector, incorporating AI into the workplace has become something of a hot-button issue, both for those who fear their jobs will be taken over by the new technology, as well as for those who need AI to leverage their hireability.

Among software developers, having knowledge about AI has become so desirable that “the artificial intelligence specialist has become the new ‘it’ girl in Silicon Valley,” Vox reported.

“If you take a look at job openings right now on job boards, the job listings are more emphasized on software engineers who have a background in AI,” technical recruiter Eddiana Rosen told Vox.

For many, however, AI is something not to be revered, but to be feared in the workplace.

Journalists, legal workers, and white collar workers are among some of those most at risk for AI to replace, according to Insider.

This is because AI is able to read, write, and understand text-based data well, and many of these jobs are language-oriented roles susceptible to automation.

Eager to go directly to the source, Boston Globe columnist Larry Edelman recently asked one of the new chatbots, Google’s Bard, if it would soon be forcing him into retirement.

“AI is unlikely to make newspaper columnists obsolete in the near future,” the bot replied. “While AI can be used to automate some tasks, such as writing basic news stories, it cannot yet replace the human skills and judgment that are essential for in-depth reporting and analysis.”

But Edelman’s fears weren’t easily appeased: “My gut tells me I’m being gaslighted,” he wrote.

And he’s in good company. In May, more than 400 Boston.com readers told us they are anxious over artificial intelligence, with the vast majority expressing concern over the speed with which AI is developing.

We want to know how you feel about AI in the workplace. Do you think AI will take over your current job? Do you think your job would or would not benefit from AI? How would you like to use ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI at work?

Fill out the form below or e-mail us at [email protected] and your response could be featured in a future Boston.com article.