7 Signs AI Is Going To Replace You (Especially Writers)

Your job is going to be replaced by AI.

Does hearing that make your heart stop? Does it make you nervous and uncertain? Is it uncomfortable?

Whether you believe this statement (”Your job is going to be replaced by AI”) is true… I strongly encourage you to operate as if it is.

Here’s why:

7 Signs AI Is Going To Replace You

Artificial Intelligence isn’t just going to affect “a handful” of industries.

It’s going to affect every industry, all over the world, starting now.

Which means, if you want to have a thriving career over the next ~30 years, if you want to remain relevant, and if you don’t want to get caught with your pants down (ouch), then you are better off ASSUMING AI is going to impact you — versus assuming AI “won’t” impact you. The former will be prepared, and the latter will be left behind.

So, with that in mind: how can you tell how “at-risk” you are?

These are the 7 (subtle) signs AI is most likely going to replace you — and what you can do about it.

Sign #1: You get paid per hour (for digital work).

10 years ago, everyone thought the physical laborers (plumbers, electricians, etc.) would be first to get “automated away.”

Turns out, that’s wrong.

It’s the digital “do-ers” that will be first to go.

“Hourly” is a signal you are getting paid for your TIME and your EFFORT.

Not your value.

The age of AI is going to (painfully) reveal how many people have been getting paid to “sit there” versus getting paid to generate an outcome. So, if you are currently being paid hourly, you need to recognize that you are severely at-risk of being automated away.

Almost any digital task being outsourced at an hourly rate can, and will soon be, completely doable by AI.

Sign #2: You are a “Digital Laborer.”

These are the new blue-collar jobs:

• SEO writers

• Website designers

• Landing page builders

• Brute force developers

• Google AdWords optimizers

• Etc.

If you are currently being paid to build “piping” for the Internet, your job is at risk.

Why?

Because all these jobs are the digital equivalent of manual labor (digital labor). Because instead of chopping wood and carrying water, you’re being paid to repeatedly press keys and drag windows.

👉 And AI can do all of that.

Sign #3: Your task list = “doing,” not “thinking.”

The highest-paid people, in any industry, don’t get paid to “do.”

They get paid to “think” — and then other human beings “do the doing.”

Right?

Just look at an average company structure:

• Entry-level employee: “doing”

• Manager: “manages” the “doing”

• Senior Manager: “manages” the “manager” managing the entry-level employees “doing”

• Executive: “thinks” about the strategy, then “manages” the senior manager managing the “manager” managing the entry-level employees “doing”

• Etc.

The further up you get in any organization, the less “doing” you do, and (ideally) the more “thinking” you are responsible for communicating down the chain of command.

So, if AI replaces a lot of the “doing…”

Then that means you need to stop (RIGHT AWAY) “doing” and start “thinking.”

Sign #4: Your work requires zero creative decision-making.

• Taking notes on calls

• Writing company press releases

• Reporting “the facts” for a news publication

• Etc.

All of these jobs are just different versions of manual data retrieval & synopsis.

And they are all going to be replaced by AI.

(Again: if your value is just in the “doing,” you are easy to replace. Which is why you want your value to be in how you “THINK,” and your unique frameworks for “thinking” about how to “do” the “doing.”)

For example:

How To Create Frameworks From Scratch: 2 Ways To Train ChatGPT To Be Your Personal Writing Assistant

Sign #5: Your creative decision-making is arbitrary.

Ever sit in a meeting where 8 people debate whether the company logo should be dark blue or light blue?

There’s 0 value in these types of conversations.

But it’s important to understand why…

Because everyone sitting around the table isn’t sharing what they “think” based in any sort of unique or valuable framework. They’re simply sharing what they “like” or “don’t like” — which just means they are sharing their own subjective opinion. And people often confuse this sort of arbitrary opinion-sharing & decision-making for “creativity.”

AI easily replaces this baseline subjectivity because it can generate infinite options to choose from.

Sign #6: You get paid to create commodity projects.

• Decks

• Proposals

• Holiday emails

• Website mockups

• Etc.

Just look at what Gamma achieved: beautiful decks and docs anyone can use & customize within just a few clicks for $8 per month. Insane!

1-click. Generate. Download.

Done.

Sign #7: Your content/POV is easily substitutable.

This might be the most powerful signal of all.

It doesn’t matter if you think you’re “talented” at what you do.

If you write, design, build, or creative things people can easily find elsewhere… your economic value is lower than you think. Because if your work is easily substitutable, that means AI can very easily “do what you do.”

Instead, your goal should be to achieve Category King status of your chosen niche.

You need to be irreplaceable.

10 years ago, everyone thought the physical laborers (plumbers, electricians, etc.) would be first to get "automated away." Turns out, that's wrong. It's the digital "do-ers" that will be first to go.

Thriving in The Age of AI is going to be all about leverage. Either compete with humans & technology over the "doing." Or ascend, create new & unique frameworks, and get paid to "think" (and let AI "do the doing").

Like this:

That’s it.

I firmly believe now is the greatest time in history to be a writer.

...so long as you're a Digital Writer, and you master the art of writing WITH AI.

Chat soon,

—Dickie & Cole

Co-Founders of Ship 30 For 30

Co-Founders of Premium Ghostwriting Academy

Co-Founders of Typeshare

Co-Founders of Write With AI