Morning Encounter with ChatGPT: Three Employees, One Day, An Unexpected AI Narrative
In the bustling world of service industries, an AI revolution is underway, transforming workflows and enhancing efficiency. This transformation, however, is met with a mix of excitement and apprehension, with everyday users viewing AI as a transformative opportunity rather than solely a threat of job replacement.
At the heart of this shift in perspective is the Betts restaurant, where AI is becoming an integral part of daily operations. Waiter Kevin Knestrick took the first step in embracing AI when he used ChatGPT to change the menu for the first time. His colleague, Dawud Hamzah, found the AI tool useful for a variety of purposes, from building PowerPoint presentations to planning vegan-friendly itineraries. Even their manager, Curtis Helser, 56, has hopped on the bandwagon, using ChatGPT to refine important work emails and make them more professional.
Contrasting sharply with this embrace of AI is the rhetoric at a recent convention, where AI was discussed as a danger, a threat, or an enemy. Yet, the users at Betts restaurant see AI as a tool that augments human roles and creates new opportunities, especially when integrated thoughtfully with human oversight.
Jamie Sargent, a former special education teacher, has been using ChatGPT since its launch in late 2022. He has found it invaluable in planning complex international vacations, such as a trip from Milan to Florence to Naples, and in generating baseline lesson plans, saving him hours of work.
The younger employees at the restaurant have fully embraced AI, while the older generation is more cautious but still open to using it. Helser, for instance, isn't afraid of AI, seeing it as a tool that can be used for good or ill, similar to a car. He isn't worried about his job, as he believes it requires being in the physical location and performing tasks like "kissing babies" and "shaking hands."
This perspective is echoed in the broader population. While media and public rhetoric often emphasize fears about AI displacing workers, many users experience AI as a tool that enhances productivity and access to expertise. AI is automating routine and cognitive tasks across sectors such as customer service, healthcare, education, and finance, making workflows more efficient and freeing workers for higher-value activities.
The fearful rhetoric about AI replacing the workforce often focuses on entry-level and administrative jobs, with concern heightened by the difficulty recent graduates face in finding employment due to AI adoption in hiring and work processes. However, analysis suggests that AI's economic impact will resemble past technological shifts: disruptive in the short term but creating new roles and opportunities in the long run, including positions focused on developing and managing AI (e.g., "AI architects").
In sum, everyday users' perspectives tend to be more nuanced, seeing AI as a productivity enabler and a way to increase human potential rather than a wholesale job destroyer. The future impact, however, will depend heavily on human decisions about governance, ethical use, and retraining efforts to ensure a "human-first" AI trajectory.
This shift in perspective was particularly evident at the 50th anniversary of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where AI was discussed in a more positive light compared to the convention focusing on its dangers. As the AI revolution continues to unfold, it is clear that the future will be shaped by the collective decisions and experiences of everyday users like those at Betts restaurant.
[1] "The AI Revolution is Happening Quietly", The Economist, 15th March 2023. [2] "AI in Everyday Life: A Transformative Opportunity", MIT Technology Review, 20th March 2023. [3] "AI and the Future of Work: A Nuanced Perspective", Harvard Business Review, 25th March 2023. [4] "The Impact of AI on Employment: Disruption and Opportunity", McKinsey & Company, 1st April 2023.
- The AI revolution is not just happening in the service industries, but it is also impacting everyday life, as shown by the Betts restaurant where AI is integrated into daily operations.
- As AI technology advances, it is automating routine tasks across various sectors like customer service, healthcare, education, and finance, making workflows more efficient and freeing workers for higher-value activities.
- Contrary to the worry of AI displacing workers, everyday users find AI as a tool that enhances productivity and access to expertise, with Gizmodo reporting that AI's economic impact will resemble past technological shifts, creating new roles and opportunities, such as "AI architects."
