ANECDOTE
Sarah McGrath, Associate Editor at LinkedIn, asked me to share my take on their annual Jobs On The Rise list.
As you can imagine, a high number of the “fastest growing jobs” were AI engineers, AI consultants, AI researchers, AI strategists, etc.
I offered a contrarian viewpoint – which they posted on their site – and it’s since gone viral with thousands of views. Here’s an excerpt.
“My belief is that, in today’s AI Everywhere World, this will be the ‘Age of the Artisan.”
An Artisan is defined as “a skilled craftsperson who creates unique, high-quality items by hand, often using traditional techniques that emphasize detail and beauty over mass production.”
Artisans are known for their dedication to a specific trade, for their mastery, individuality, and for producing quality goods with a “human touch.”
In a world where many people don’t know what is real anymore, they will increasingly value, respect, and buy work that is unique, authentic, bespoke.
Want good news?
If you have invested your 10,000 hours in learning, honing, and codifying your craft – whether as a writer, artist, musician, chef, culturalist, inventor or entrepreneur – you’ll be able to leverage your skills, pay your bills, and earn a good living doing what you’re good at.
And that’s a win for everyone.
ACTION
At every conference I speak at, there’s a gold rush to the AI Wild, Wild West. Many sessions focus on how to get good at it, with an underlying theme (and threat) that if you don’t “stay ahead” and jump on the AI bandwagon, you’ll get “left behind.”
I want to offer a balancing voice to this “all or nothing” narrative. If you are an author, creator, craftsman, maker, tradesman, you might want to also.
Are you already being a spokesperson for handmade, human-made bodies of work?
How might you speak up to celebrate and elevate our profession as an artisan?