The way we look at jobs and employment is going to fundamentally change in the years ahead on account of the rise and rise of artificial intelligence, or AI. With more and more job roles and functions typical of large organizations employing large numbers of people being taken over by AI, there will be fewer and fewer jobs and occupations that we have known in the traditional sense available to people of employable age.
They will perforce have to turn to solopreneurship in order to keep themselves gainfully employed. In this AI-dominated and driven future, people will need to learn to develop skills that are in sync with AI and can, thereby, effectively leverage the technology and obtain optimal benefits from it. The idea would be to make an ally of AI and not a rival.
What will be the skills in demand in this new age era of solopreneurship?
1. Superior Cognitive Skills
While AI can process humongous amounts of data and discern patterns, it does not possess the ability to take a nuanced and out-of-the-box view of intractable and highly complex problems and situations. This is where a human brain can step up to the plate and help make strategic decisions even when there is incomplete or inadequate information available. The ability to be both creative and innovative can help humans think about ever-new possibilities and scenarios, leading to the development of whole new original concepts.
Solopreneurs with the ability to come up with a clear and farsighted vision for their business ventures and adapt their strategies to an environment that has been shaped by rapid and incremental advancements in AI will thrive.
2. Interpersonal and Emotional Skills
AI, for all its abilities and capabilities, will never be able to foster genuine connections with clients, vendors, suppliers, and others, thereby hampering the building of trust and the likelihood of meaningful collaborations. Active listening, empathy, and the ability to engage in persuasive communication will give solopreneurs a leg up in terms of building long-term relationships and managing complex collaborations.
Humans, unlike AI, possess EQ, which will give them the edge over the latter when it comes to things like rapport building and conflict resolution.
3. Leadership
Even though solopreneurship will likely be the norm in the not-so-distant future, individuals will need to be self-motivated and, to that extent, will need to learn to lead themselves effectively in order to perform effectively. At the same time, they will need to learn to be excellent at motivating and inspiring the people they need to deal with. These range from collaborators and clients to their AI-powered virtual assistants!
4. AI Skills
Don’t walk into the rain without an umbrella! That does not mean that everybody has to become an AI nerd. One does, however, need to understand how one can leverage AI for better business opportunities and growth. It would also make eminent sense to become proficient at using AI tools that can help automate processes, carry out data analysis, and help with marketing as well as customer service.
Look out for the future - it is solopreneurship in the era of AI
Most jobs and professions that we see around us, like those of teachers, lawyers, engineers, coders, writers, architects, accountants, and even doctors, are going to see a gradual and incremental takeover by AI. This may be good for society or bad- we don’t know yet. But the movement in that direction is inevitable and inexorable.
In a scenario like that, solopreneurship is likely to take the place of the jobs that form the bulk of the middle class white collar employment that a large number of us aspire to. We need to prepare our young people to prepare themselves for the future that is coming.
Feature image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-light-bulb-placed-on-chalkboard-355952/
