Lesson 218 · 2 min
Which tasks AI takes first
AI tends to take over tasks that are mostly text or numbers on a screen, repeat often and are easy to check.
AI usually changes jobs task by task. A job is a bundle of tasks, and some of them are much easier to automate than others.
The first to change tend to share three traits: the input and output are digital, like text, numbers or images; the task repeats often in a similar way; and it is easy to tell if the result is right. Drafting routine emails, sorting documents and writing first-pass reports fit this pattern.
Tasks that change more slowly involve the physical world, unusual situations, trust between people or responsibility for a decision. Fixing a machine, calming an angry customer or signing off on a budget are examples.
Try listing your own tasks this way. You will likely find that some of your work can be handed to AI soon and that other parts become more important.
Do it now
Sort your own tasks
- 1. List 10 tasks you did last week.
- 2. Run the prompt below.
- 3. Pick one easy-to-automate task and try AI on it this week.
Here are 10 tasks from my job as [ROLE]: [LIST]. For each, rate how much AI could help today (high, medium, low) and explain using these questions: Is it mostly text or numbers on a screen? Does it repeat? Is it easy to check? Does it need trust, physical work or responsibility? Be balanced and avoid hype.
Quick check
Keep going
Next →Skills that keep their valueWords from this lesson
- Generative AI
- AI that produces new text, images, audio, video or code, rather than only sorting or scoring existing things.
- AI literacy
- Knowing enough about how AI works to use it well, spot its mistakes and decide when not to use it.