Why 'Job Elimination' is the New Reality

Every innovation eventuates in 2 stages of job alterations:

1. Job loss
2. Job upgrade

When portable cameras were rolled out in 1900. Some portrait painters were sceptical to learn the skills needed to operate the camera. If you asked them why not learn the new skill, they may retort "ouch, I'll need a Chemistry degree to operate that clunky box of alchemical lightning."

It may seem expedient, but this is an inevitable natural progression of economy and technology.

We've seen this cycle played out repeatedly over the past 200 years. Steam-powered looms to electric textile factories. Horse-drawn carriages to automobile.

Just late Jan 2026, Singapore necessitated digital recording for all GPs. Some doctors weren't quite ready for the transition. They are certainly at a disadvantage than those who are ready.

What's interesting, pun intended, is that the innovation wrought by AI creates a phenomenon that leads to the third stage I will call job elimination.

AI-driven autonomous cinematography eliminated the man behind the lens entirely, capturing impossible angles with high precision and removing the constraints of human reflex. Autonomous vertical farming eliminated the problem of land scarcity and makes harvest all year long possible without the energy of human. Self-driving cars won't have the problem of drunk drivers and are much safer.

These are boon for the world. If it wasn't for AI, Moderna scientists won't be able to produce the vaccine within 2 days to save humanity (one that conventionally take a decade to develop). When the economic policy and political climate ensure the benefits are distributed equitably, AI makes the world a better place overall.

Technological advent doesn't wait. Often, it is too late before we realize it has shaped our world that we are forced to move on or perish. Horse-cart riders survived for thousands of years before Ford Model T hit mass production that caused those riders to lose their jobs. It took only 13 years (1900 to 1913) for the New York streets to transition from entirely horse-drawn to almost entirely motorized. Our best bet is to be fluid and inquisitive. In our contemporary society, software and automation tools have become extensions of our workforce. You no longer need a Computer degree to use them, any more than you need an Engineering degree to flip a light switch.