So, here's the deal. It's not "if". It's not "when". As an older workers you need to take action now.
Your Gray Matters' Take:
- Accept AI. Period.
- Get a personal subscription to ChatGPT or Claude ($20 or so per month) and practice with it every day
- Go into YouTube and see videos of prompts and other actions to use with ChatGPT or Claude
- Have a personal project that drives you and use AI to complete it.
Note: Adapted from a CNBC Article with additional actions you can take
Key Points
- Artificial intelligence may either prompt some older workers to leave their jobs or help make their roles more efficient, new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds.
- AI could influence how long people are able to work in their careers, a crucial element for policymakers to consider in any future Social Security reform, according to the research.
- Here’s which occupations may be most affected and what experts say older workers can do to adapt.
What's going on right now.
Workers aged 55-plus in AI-exposed industries are leaving their jobs more often, author Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, a professor of economics, told CNBC. Those transitions are equally driven by unemployment and voluntary reasons, he said.
3 ways AI may impact older workers’ careers
AI may affect the length of older workers’ careers in three ways, according to Sanzenbacher’s research.
- Automation may replace older workers, prompting them to either become unemployed or leave the labor force completely, Sanzenbacher found.
- Or the pressure to adopt AI may lead some workers to either seek jobs that do not involve those new advancements or retire altogether.
- Alternatively, generative AI could allow people to work longer as productivity increases, pushing up wages and letting workers focus on engaging tasks, according to Sanzenbacher.
What older workers can do to catch up
Older workers may want to adopt a two-pronged approach to adapting in today’s labor force — becoming AI-literate while also doubling down on soft skills, Salemi said.
A good place to start may be to learn the AI tools your employer is already using, which may help maximize your time for deeper thinking, she said.
At the same time, don’t forget to highlight soft skills like communication, relationship-building and problem-solving, whether you’re seeking to stand out in your current role or in a job you’re applying for.
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