… we keep hearing variations of “AI is stealing my internship”, “AI stole my job”, or even “AI stole my idea for a novel!”
While I was busy working…
These are serious concerns, because Gen Z is really struggling to find entry-level positions, or even internships, as these roles are being replaced by Artificial Intelligence…
but anyone over the age of 55 looking for work – let’s call them Gen X – is finding it even harder, as their AI-free resumes don’t cut it anymore, and they aren’t even getting to interview. While they’ve been busy working, the rest of the world has been upskilling, and AI slop is rewriting the rules for job applications…
but these groups are not unique. Hasn’t every other generation been confronted with the emergence of new technologies before they were ready for it?
Video killed the radio star
When TV came in, wasn’t there a fear that video would kill the radio star?
When pocket calculators came in, wasn’t there a concern that we would soon forget our times tables and the art of counting in our heads?
When emails came in, wasn’t everyone worried that this would lead to the loss of handwriting and the handwritten letter?
When the Internet came in, weren’t we anxious that students would no longer be able to go to the library and find books and journal articles on the shelves using the Dewey system?
AI is massive – and it’s not going away
I think you get the picture! As young and old alike are discovering, AI is really shaking up the worlds of work, art, literature, academia, popular culture, advertising, you name it…..
The trick is learning how to upskill ourselves in the responsible, effective, and ethical use of this new technology, while also avoiding its well-documented pitfalls…..
and, for authors, the biggest pitfall with succumbing to AI is losing our own distinctive voice, the ability to write creatively and imperfectly, with random, half-baked thoughts, dead ends, missed commas, missed capitals, and five full stops instead of one…..
Brave New World
If you think Wise Directions can help you navigate this brave new world, drop us a line; we’re here to help and work through it together…
– Marshall, Brisbane, August 2026