Basil Jarrett | AI is coming for everyone – whether we like it or not

A RECENT article by Dr Leahcim Semaj in his Mind Spa online blog, argues that despite the rapid growth and proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), some professions will remain untouched, listing a few career paths that, in his view, are “everlasting”.

In healthcare and education, he asserts, doctors will always be needed, even though AI will enhance diagnostics, predictive medicine, and robotic surgeries. He also believes teachers will remain essential despite AI-powered learning platforms, as human educators provide mentorship, motivation, and personal connection. Morticians and waste disposal managers are another “safe” bet, he says, as our inevitable human mortality and waste production will protect these industries.

AI may introduce efficiencies, he asserts, but scientists will continue to drive innovation. Similarly, soldiers, law-enforcement officers, and private security personnel will always be needed for national defence and public safety, even as AI enhances surveillance and cyberwarfare strategies. Our churches can breathe a sigh of relief as pastors and religious leaders, too, he believes, will remain relevant because people will always be seeking spiritual guidance. AI may be able to analyse religious texts and social trends, but human connection and empathy are irreplaceable.

Then there are the farmers and food producers, who can never be replaced by even the most sophisticated AI-powered precision agriculture and autonomous farming technologies. Construction workers also fall into that category, even if they, too, will rely more on AI-driven design and robotic construction.

THE COMMON THREAD

The common thread in all of these jobs and career paths is that they fulfil fundamental human needs, whether physical, emotional, social, or economic. They should survive because they are deeply human-centred, requiring judgement, creativity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, traits that AI, despite its rapid progress, still cannot fully replicate.

And that’s probably true – for now. But AI is already diagnosing diseases, customising lesson plans, and analysing crime patterns faster than any human can. It’s replacing manual labour with robotics, generating religious sermons, and even conducting surgeries with precision-guided machines. Semaj concludes that the key to staying relevant is to recognise the importance of lifelong learning, hybrid skills, emotional intelligence, and ethics. He reassures readers that AI will not replace humans entirely, but will instead augment human capabilities, as long as individuals are willing to evolve with technology.

NO JOB IS TRULY AI-PROOF

But I have a slightly different take. No profession, no industry, no job is completely safe. AI is not just a tool that will ‘assist’ workers. It is a force of disruption, and everyone, from doctors to barbers, will feel its impact. Even history confirms this. The Industrial Revolution didn’t augment blacksmiths; it did away with them. The Internet didn’t augment traditional journalism; it transformed it, leaving many newsrooms empty. AI will not just be an enhancement, it will be a disruptor, and we must accept that reality.

The argument that AI ‘won’t replace’ certain jobs must then come with an asterisk. Sure, humans will still be needed. But how many? One AI-enhanced doctor will do the work of five specialists. A single farmer, aided by AI-powered drones, will feed entire communities. See where I’m going?

AI is reshaping the world faster than we can process it, and every week brings new developments as major industries grapple with how to integrate, regulate, or survive the revolution. Previous innovations, such as the steam engine, electricity, and the Internet, have had a fundamental impact on human experience, reshaping human labour, wiping out jobs, creating new industries, and shifting global economies. AI will do the same, just much faster than anything before it.

What is even more ironic is that the people who dismiss AI as a mere ‘assistant’ are the same ones most at risk of being replaced. The moment you rely too much on the technology, you stop sharpening your own skills, as discovered in that recent Microsoft-Carnegie Mellon study that found that people who overuse AI start losing their ability to think critically. The more we trust AI to do the thinking for us, the dumber we get, it seems.

ADAPT OR DIE

We can’t therefore afford to be passive observers. The AI wave is coming, and those who don’t adapt will be left behind. Rather than pretending that AI is an enhancement rather than a disruptor, we should focus on preparing for the inevitable. AI literacy should be part of every curriculum, from primary schools to universities. Businesses should train their employees on how to use AI effectively while maintaining critical-thinking skills. And policymakers must ensure that Jamaica is not just a consumer of AI, but an innovator in the field.

But education alone won’t be enough. If there’s one lesson we should have learnt from previous technological revolutions, it’s that continuous learning is the only way to stay relevant. AI is evolving so rapidly that what’s cutting-edge today could be obsolete tomorrow. This means that professionals — whether they’re doctors, teachers, or even barbers — must commit to lifelong upskilling. The idea that you graduate, get a job, and settle into a career for life is dead. Instead, the workforce of the future will have to constantly adapt, learning new tools, new techniques, and even entirely new professions as AI reshapes the landscape.

Countries around the world are already developing national AI strategies that outlines how they plan to integrate AI into key industries, from agriculture to finance to tourism. What about us? Where does our future lie? In a word: Adaptability. On this Semaj and I are in agreement. If AI is inevitable, then the key to survival is not just working with AI, but thinking beyond it. The next generation must become creators, innovators, and problem-solvers, leveraging technology while keeping human intuition at the forefront. The only jobs AI won’t replace are perhaps the ones we haven’t thought of yet.

The question therefore isn’t just whether your career is ‘safe’ from AI. It’s whether you’re preparing to evolve with it. AI is not waiting for us to catch up. It is already here, transforming the world at breakneck speed. But will we be ready?

Major Basil Jarrett is the director of communications at the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and crisis communications consultant. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Threads @IamBasilJarrett, linkedin.com/in/basiljarrett and send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.