Less than two hundred years ago, cities across the world employed thousands of lamplighters: workers whose job it was to manually light street lamps every morning and extinguish them at night. These workers quickly strode their way into Western mythology as stand-ins for ancient gods like Apollo to the Greeks, or even Prometheus, bringer of fire and knowledge to the people of the world. Lamp lighting was a profession that represented something much larger than the task a worker physically completed; it was a symbol for the advancement of humankind, the promise of the common good enforced by a democratic government, and a common structure that promised a communal safety even to the smallest child.

This was, of course, all before the invention of electricity. In a few short years, lamp lighting went from a popular, symbolic profession to a relic of the past. Light bulbs were cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient than oil. They did not require a battalion of workers for twice-daily maintenance. Lamp lighting made way for electricians, power plant operators, electrical engineers, lighting manufacturers, and hundreds of other previously unexplored professions.

That’s almost nothing compared to the field that would never die: the horse-drawn transportation industry. According to the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, in the year 1900, tens of thousands of horses powered freight, transit, and more in New York City alone. In fact, historians estimate that in that same year, roughly 5-10% of the urban workforce was directly employed in horse-dependent jobs.

Commuting, food delivery, coal transport, mail, waste removal: you name it, horses had a hand in getting it done. That’s not to mention highly regarded horse-related professions; farriers, blacksmiths, and other skilled laborers who made their livings tangentially due to the value of horses.

With the invention of the automobile, you can imagine the terror that swept across the urban workforce. You didn’t have to feed a car (outside of fuel, far cheaper and easier to store than grain). You didn’t have to clear away the waste produced by an automobile. Maintaining a vehicle proved far simpler than a horse; streets could be far narrower and cleaner with significantly less effort. In less than a generation, all industries around horse transportation collapsed, making way for auto manufacturing, renewed urban development, advanced design, and advertising.

With every great technological advancement, there comes a collapse of the old ways of doing business. What remains constant in the face of collapse, however, is the rise of brand-new, never-before-seen industries; not just new business, but a vast, unpredictable network of new opportunities.

And that’s what we’re seeing with the rise of AI.

I’ve read an overwhelming number of articles in the past three months that generally make the following claims:

1. AI has made it so that companies need fewer employees to operate – and they will never need to hire more.
2. AI is making it impossible for entry-level employees to find jobs.
3. AI has ruined the development of students in the classroom.

Each of these points assumes a scarcity mindset when it comes to the future of the workplace; that is, the only options that could ever exist only exist right now, and to remove them is to remove the only pathways that could exist.

But history tells a different story. History tells a story of times of great change adding fuel to the next generation of leaders, inventors, and creatives launching their own initiatives that match emerging technology. History tells a story of new industries rising to supplant the old ones, leading to even more opportunities down the road; opportunities we’ve never dreamed of before.

That doesn’t make these changes any less scary. It’s true that many things will change in the coming years, and very few of us actually desire to live through historic periods of uncertainty.

However, I believe that the UB community is uniquely positioned to emerge from this period of uncertainty with flying colors. We have all the necessary resources, expertise, and investment (Empire AI, AI Academic Programs, etc.) right here in Buffalo to ensure our students are set up for success.

Students: as you continue your education here at UB, recognize the unique opportunities you have access to. Seek to discover and understand new tools, and be prepared to adapt to an ever-changing job market. With a UB education, you’ll be more than capable of finding success.

Staff: be wary of what some of us have begun to call “AI Doomerism”. Our students need to see that we have confidence in their ability to succeed; belief that their passion is just as valuable in their emerging generation as it was in ours.

The “next thing” always comes, and our students will be ready to meet these new challenges head on.

Interested in more? Check out the Career Design Studio to explore life after graduation, or make an appointment with a dedicated professional here at the Career Design Center.