Workers with AI skills will dominate jobs, not lose them

Lanre Basamta, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Optimus AI Labs, has stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not take away jobs; instead, those equipped with AI skills will take them.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said at the beginning of 2024 that almost 40 percent of global employment is exposed to AI. A report by Goldman Sachs said it could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs.

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According to Basamta, AI will not replace people, but people with AI skills will replace people without these skills. “The most intelligent machines are still not as intelligent as the dumbest humans because humans have the privilege of context,” he said on the sidelines of FirstBank’s Nigerian Fintech Festival.

McKinsey recently noted that AI will add $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030, amounting to an extra 1.2 percent GDP growth per year.

“AI has the potential to help power economic growth. What makes this even more exciting is that it is not just an opportunity for big businesses, it also creates incredible opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs,” wrote Alex Okosi, Google Sub-Saharan Africa Managing Director, in an article titled, ‘How AI is accelerating Africa’s pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.’

Basamta of Optimus AI Labs noted that the biggest winners will be those with requisite skills. “You can give the most powerful capability to the most unskilled guy, and he won’t be able to do anything because he lacks the know-how,” he said.

Basamta explained that AI’s advancement is just like other technological advancements, and people will eventually adjust rather than continue to approach it with fear. “When I talk about AI or train people on AI, they often think it’s going to transform the world entirely. But if you think of AI as a scientific calculator, you’ll realize it doesn’t replace learning; it assists it.”

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Okosi of Google pointed out that AI isn’t just another technology but “an enabler, reducing the barriers that stand in the way of realising the opportunities that Africa has to offer.”

However, digital infrastructure and training gaps may slow Africa’s adoption of AI, leaving it to play catch up with the rest of the world.

“For Africa to catch up in the global AI race, a multi-faceted approach is required. This involves not only investment in infrastructure and education but also cultivating a culture of learning, innovation and entrepreneurship amongst the civil service who are core to the transformation of the continent,” Okosi added.