Hello. My name is Helen, and I am a virgin. A ChatGPT virgin, that is. In the midst of our ongoing AI revolution, this admission might be more shocking than one might think. It is not just ChatGPT; I have never used Claude, Gemini, Llama, or any other generative AI platform that has swiftly become popular. I have not even opened these tools, let alone asked them anything. I am not even entirely sure where they reside—presumably on the internet, perhaps in the cloud. Do I need to download an app?
This ignorance was not intentional, at least not initially. The whole phenomenon passed me by, much like podcasts did. One day everything was normal, and the next I woke up to find the world avidly seeking AI advice on everything from breakfast choices to relationship dilemmas. I do use some AI—it is nearly impossible to avoid, as it is increasingly embedded in all technology—but my usage is limited to Otter, a transcribing tool for interviews. It has saved me countless hours by performing a task I found tedious. However, Otter hallucinates regularly, meaning it fabricates information. In simpler terms, it lies. Why then would I trust AI to dispense critical advice, reply to sensitive messages, perform my job, or act as a therapist, travel agent, or romantic partner? Why would I outsource my thinking to something prone to presenting nonsense as fact with the confidence of a young life coach?
The Job Market and AI Fluency
I am also conscious that AI often displaces human workers. Someone recently suggested I use AI to create a personal training plan because it is supposedly good at that. But it is not—it scrapes the internet for knowledge from skilled professionals and offers it for free, depriving real trainers of clients. Standard Chartered's CEO Bill Winters faced backlash for suggesting AI would replace lower-value human capital, but he voiced a common corporate stance. Additionally, ChatGPT uses ten times more energy than a Google search.
Yet I worry that my AI obstinacy may harm my future. A divide is emerging between early adopters and those who remain analogue. Nearly half of the UK population now uses ChatGPT, generating 86.7 million prompts daily. Famous women like Reese Witherspoon urge embracing AI or risk being left behind. Candidates are increasingly asked to demonstrate AI skills in job interviews. Amanda Augustine, a career expert, states that AI fluency is becoming expected in corporate roles. Ignoring these tools could hurt career prospects, as employers value adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies.
The Digital Divide and Human Value
Michael Wooldridge, professor of foundational AI at Oxford, notes that AI adoption adds another dimension to the digital divide. He compares it to his late parents, who never adapted to computers, which became a real issue as services moved online. However, AI is more accessible than computers were thirty years ago; you do not need a PhD to use ChatGPT. While a two-tier system is emerging, it is between white-collar and blue-collar workers. Skilled manual labour professions are immune from AI for now, but white-collar work is more vulnerable.
Wooldridge also predicts a new career path where people monetise their experiences by providing data to AI, filming their lives for financial deals. This sounds like hell on Earth. However, there may be advantages to staying analogue. As AI-generated content becomes prevalent, human-generated content gains value. Authentic, genuine human voices will command a premium precisely because they are not generic. Moreover, relying on AI risks de-skilling and eroding critical thinking. Wooldridge warns that we must stay on top of this through education.
Ultimately, continuing to ignore AI might not be the best career move, but if it means retaining the ability to write, problem-solve, research, and think for myself, I might hold off a little longer.
