I recently saw a TikTok of a software developer saying they’d be out of a job in 6 months because of AI such as ChatGPT, a new natural language processing tool driven by AI (artificial intelligence) technology with dazzling capabilities. It’s being discussed in forums from universities to the tech sector as people grapple with the implications of an AI that can write coherent text, generate working code, and even create ‘art’* through prompts from humans.
Evaluating our relationship with AI
I began to reflect on whether or not my job was at stake from this new technological advancement. An AI that can write and synthesise information would take hours from my job responsibilities, but in fact these are the parts of my job that are the most replicable and often, to be honest, the least exciting. (When is the last time you enjoyed reading a report more than chatting with a friend?) There has already been pushback by those in various creative fields about the shortcomings of these technologies, and I think many of their criticisms also apply to community work. I don’t think AI is yet able to understand (let alone empathise with or work within) the complexities, joys, and challenges of working with and in communities.
I feel that our relationship with AI as a society reflects the broader issues we are currently facing. It’s been widely shown that there has been an erosion of the valuable networks of social connection in the US, UK, and other comparable societies. Community work, broadly speaking, works to strengthen those ties and develop those networks. Unfortunately, while COVID-19 brought greater appreciation for the necessity of strong community networks, as well as the skill and hard work involved in creating and maintaining them, this type of work has consistently been undervalued and underfunded. If AI can replace so many parts of a role, what does this say about the value of the parts that can’t be replaced?
AI and Community Work
In my role I meet so many dedicated people who work extremely hard in and for their communities. They are always motivated by care and by a desire to see positive change. Shouldn’t these kinds of technological innovations free up our time and mental space to do what we most care about? For many of us, that includes caring for and spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, community organising, and participating in community groups (faith organisations, clubs, social organisations), or just spending more time in leisure and with others. Instead of fearing that AI will take all our jobs, how do adjust positively? Instead of envisaging a devastating wave of redundancies as happened with COVID, can these changes allow us more time for what matters most?
I’d love to see a world where AI replaces some parts of my role so that I can focus on what is irreplaceable – creating art, spending time with loved ones, enjoying my community and the world.
In short, community work strives to make our world more liveable for all of us. There are many ways to do this, and much of it happens outside and beyond working hours or paid roles.
Anyone can do it – but I don’t think any AI will even come close.
*The feature image was created by Dall-E 2 by inputting the words ‘community action’.