The conversation around AI seems to have changed dramatically in a very short space of time.
A year ago, many people were asking whether AI would replace workers. Today, I am increasingly hearing concerns about cost, reliability, trust, and the skills needed to use these tools effectively.
Job seekers and learners are becoming more cynical saying things like “What’s the point? AI is going to take our jobs as soon as we get them!”, or “AI is filtering us out of the application process”.
People are becoming more and more distrusting of AI, almost scared to believe anything they see, or even hear.
When I share my creative work, many ask “Did AI do that?”, which is a fair question really; those that know me don’t ask that question, because they know I have honed my Photoshop, DTP, Layout and eLearning design skills over decades, so the likelihood is that it’s my work, maybe with some AI input.
I’ve even gone so far as to document my process for creating images, graphics and animation.
I’ve been told several times that I’m not needed to provide or teach these skills anymore, because AI can do it all.
Now, what I’m hearing is that AI is getting too expensive. One company has even cancelled their AI subscriptions and hired 2 people instead.
Part of the problem is that users burn through credits, or run up a huge bill, because they’re not yet adept at using the tools. Instead of planning first and considering potential limitations, they dive straight in, then spend time and money revising outputs, correcting misunderstandings, and reworking instructions while the costs keep mounting.
What happens to these projects when AI is unavailable, stops working, or becomes too expensive? Do these people have the skills to continue building the project in its current state, in-budget, and on time?
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