AI isn't going to replace you

I keep hearing people worry that AI will take over software development, product development, writing, video production, and other areas.

I'd be worried if you write low-quality, spammy, clickbait articles (AI can do that easily).

If you write simple, boilerplate code for a big company, your job might be at risk.

But for those who care about doing quality work, AI doesn't even come close to replacing us.

When building a product, the overall experience you craft matters. You can't just duct tape together AI-generated code and build a solid UX.

"The AI can't feel the product. It doesn't understand the rough edges of a design. Why this flow isn't quite right, why that copy doesn't make sense."  – Dan Scott

We've seen this with no-code builders and starter kits. To build something great, you need someone with expertise.

AI is a reasonable tool for augmenting skilled people in specific areas.

But on its own, AI is bad at good software development, writing, video editing, and customer service.

Even when AI is a helpful tool, it still requires us humans to prompt and direct it. The more expertise you have, the better you can wield AI as a tool.

Some say, "Well, AI can't do all that yet, but it could soon!" I don't think we should worry about things that haven't happened yet. Likely, we've already reached the limit of what large language models (LLMs) can do.

All of this cheap, low-quality AI will create more opportunities.

There will be opportunities to stand out for those who care about quality product design, customer service, and creating meaningful experiences. At ​Transistor, we doubled down on human-powered customer support. ​People rave about it. If you care, you stand out.

If you're worried about AI taking your job, the answer is to focus on expertise, craftsmanship, and creativity.

Cheers,
Justin Jackson

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