Imagine living in a world with flying cars, tubes which move people between floors of their homes, large screens on the walls which have video call capabilities, robot dogs, and robot maids. This isn’t just my imagination, it actually comes from the sixties cartoon, The Jetsons. I remember thinking as a child how cool it would be to have all of these things especially the flying cars, but I knew it was not possible at least back then, 60 years ago. Flash forward to now and it seems like most of it will become reality or already has. We don’t have flying cars, but we have self-driving cars and video chat on our phones and computers. Although we don’t necessarily have robot dogs as pets, I am sure someone makes them; but we do have Roomba vacuums which will clean our floors while we sleep. All of these things seem harmless and useful, although I admit to being scared to climb into a car with no driver, but there is more to come with AI, artificial intelligence. I am worried about how it will change the future for us all. From all that I have read and heard, many jobs will be obsolete, and as for now, skilled labor jobs may be the only ones to survive.
The world of AI is upon us, and even those who have worked to create it have no idea how fast and far its capabilities can go. Although I consider myself a novice when it comes to using AI, I know students who use ChatGTP or Grok to write their papers. People run their health symptoms through AI to self-diagnose. My niece had AI write a legitimate/legal sounding letter to help break her lease. People use it to post fake, yet very real pictures of themselves or others to often make harmful posts on-line. Movie companies use AI created characters so as not to pay human actors; and the list goes on, but more so, AI replaces humans in white color jobs.
AI can calculate, write, and create more quickly than the human brain so in the near future, many current jobs/careers are at risk. ChatGTP told me, “Jobs that are predictable, repetitive, and mostly digital are the most exposed. AI is really good at pattern recognition, language processing, and automated structured tasks.”1 But the good news is that skilled jobs, such as construction, welders, HVAC, plumbers, heavy duty, and equipment operators, will be more difficult to replace. Also, jobs which require “emotional intelligence-heavy roles: therapists, nurses, negotiators” are safe because AI does not have real human emotions. So, where does this leave us, especially individuals with disabilities?
At CORE, we will continue to guide our participants to find meaningful opportunities in careers where they can shine. We will also continually seek to partner with companies and non-profits like the Spark welding program which teaches a skill in demand unmet by AI. And, when the day comes, we will adapt to a future which will always require individuals with human hearts and emotions. *Special ironic note: I used ChapGTP to research my material.
Footnotes
- ChatGTP response to, “What jobs are most at risk due to AI?” February 28, 2026, https://chat.openai.com/chat.
