Automation job apocalypse. My plan.

[oak]

My dear friends. I hope you will indulge me as I consider the evidence of many American jobs disappearing due to automation and artificial intelligence.

I have good reason to believe that 96% of the jobs in my field in my area will be automated within ten years.

https://www.axios.com/cities-act-to-com ... eabe3.html

Rather than focus on my considerable bitterness at corporate America, I want to express here my efforts to escape or mitigate the coming economic and social hell. This escape effort will take all my effort and patience, so I best leave the terrible experience in my past. And,well, to put it my past!

I’ll post more, but in summary the coding I’ve been studying (sql server and c#) are two of the highest valued skills in this new America. Being objective, I have quite a bit going for me, if I take action right now.

More anon. Thanks for listening. <3

[manuel_moe_g]

You are rad, Oak. A truly self-actualized man.

[oak]

Thank you so very much, Manuel Moe. Your kind reply made my day for three reasons: 1. It is always great to hear from you 2. I appreciate your kind words and hope to live up to them 3. This matter has been rattling around in my brain for weeks, and I didn't know how a post that contained "apocalypse" and "economic and social hell" would go over.

Happy Aspect:

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Here is my vision statement for 2022, if I do what I say I want to do:

It is late 2022, and the start of the next World Cup. I have my own home (with orchard! and foraging plants!) near Salt Lake City (or Boise or Charleston or Austin, having escaped the Rust Belt). I have started the dishwasher and clothes dryer (both important to me being on my own and clean/together) at my own home, which provide the white noise I enjoy so much. I settle in to watch America (hopefully!) in their first game.

I work 20 hours a week at home (a big deal to me) at $50 an hour (certainly doable, if I act now, am diligent, and act on keeping abreast of employment changes), Monday through Thursday from 10 am (also a big deal). In the mornings, after a light breakfast I go for a quick walk. I am focused as I code, eat a fresh sort of lunch, and then code for a few more hours. I work for people I like, or am a contractor. I have FUM so I can walk away from any situation that seems unethical to me. In the evenings I go for another walk, socialize, or do whatever I want. No more hour long commutes each way for me!

My teeth are good, I am fit and flexible, and enjoy the healthy food I eat. I dress well and stand up straight.

I remember that I had good evidence in 2018 to believe the job I had then (entry level white collar office/administrative) was likely (96%) to be outmated. [I have already observed that in reality: the software program that is automating my secondary role at my current position is getting better and better at reading the documents.]

I put considerable effort (starting in 2014) into switching from office/administrative work to coding, specifically SQL Server and C#. Now, in 2022, I recognize that artificial intelligence may well make human coders obsolete. I am actively looking into a computer science degree in big data or machine learning. [I am a bit unclear about that plan, considering that it will take a few years for AI to destroy more jobs. I do know that my current field is hopeless, and that SQL Server and C# can't be automated, which hopefully will buy me a few years to weather the coming AI storm.]

(Optional) I have a meaningful, longterm relationship with a good woman. (If I meet someone who wants to join me as I navigate the next five years, great. If not, equally great.)

---End of vision statement---

That, my friends, is my best case scenario for 2022, from this vantage point in 2018.

[MidnightMarauder]

Hi Manuel and Oak! I have to say Oak, your ambition has inspired me! This fall semester was my first time going back to school in years, after taking a hiatus to deal with my mental illness (stop me if you've heard this one). I happen to be going for computer science, also in an attempt to gain footing in a career before our automation overloads complete the hostile takeover. I'm taking my intro programming class, where we're learning to code in Python. I'd really like to know how your progress is going in SQL and C#.

Also, I haven't been on the forum in a few years and was elated to see familiar names still active! It brought a huge smile to my face and reminded me how great of a tool this podcast/forum has been <3

[manuel_moe_g]

Hello MidnightMarauder!

[oak]

Midnight Marauder hello! Thanks for your kind post.

Yes, Python is the best place to start. And then of course HTML, a little CSS, and then the sky's the limit with JavaScript.

I actually have my first ever in person, look an actual person who can hire a developer in the actual eyes, developer interview tomorrow.

The job description lists .NET MVC and SQL Server as the main qualifications, with of course C# and HTML/CSS/JS.

It sounds like you are on the right track with your studies my friend! Keep us posted!

[MidnightMarauder]

How did the interview go oak?

[oak]

Thanks for inquiring!

It was a success inasmuch as I accomplished my goals: actually look people who could hire me for coding in the eyes (so I get over the fear of the unknown), proudly show off my C# project, and find out what actual employers are looking for (big data, I found out).

It was a hapless failure to the extent that they clearly didn't want to talk to me, and considered my (functional) C# project as if (no joke) it was something scrawled on the wall by a 2 year old with their own poop.

It also taught me that I really can't get into C#, and fit more with PHP. I walked out with my head held high, knowing I tried.

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In a highly related topic, I see that AI is getting better at detecting tumors than pathologists with decades of experience.

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-do ... hologists/

This is exactly what Andrew Yang predicted.

Plan accordingly, my friends.