Me too… once a computer’s able to determine what a user’s asking for in terms of functionality and either create a coherent document for programmers to program from, or more likely if the technology is at that level, change/generate the code itself, then my profession will cease to exist.
I suspect however, if computers get to that level of intelligence, a LOT of professions will cease to exist. If a computer can basically gather requirements for software development, it can easily handle a lot of less complex tasks- cashier, customer service rep, teaching (maybe), a lot of mechanical maintenance tasks, (especially if the product is designed for automated diagnosis and repair). and many others.
Being a reference librarian is a hoot, but I imagine that it might become a dwindling profession if, say, people could find all the information they ever needed by accessing a worldwide network of computers from their own living room. The only thing that would be even worse would be if they could also get their books the say way, and read them on some kind of electronic reading-device.
I’m an electrical engineer who designs electrical systems for buildings and infrastructure…so anything that caused massive destruction of the capability to use electricity…though if that happened, I’d just switch my talents to getting that capability back. I suppose if some force is discovered that is safer and more efficient than electricity but useful for the same things, I’d have to switch to something else.
Needless to say, I don’t see the profession of electrical engineering being made obsolete any time soon.
In the early part of my career I thought we accountants would be a fairly useless group after an apocalypse but in Lucifer’s Hammer the former bookkeeper became a key member of the community after the comet hit. It made me think, Hey, maybe we’re actually in the information business and third world economies could actually use a healthy dose of what we do.
If people stop needing water I’d have to do something else. I primarily deal with wells and water pumps. I’m confident with my skill set I can ovoid becoming obsolete.
If people would eat right, stop smoking, move around more, and find healthy ways to deal with their emotional problems, there wouldn’t be much left for me to do.
Well, I’m a psychotherapist, so perfect pharmaceuticals might have an impact, but people will probably be making poor choices on a fairly reliable ongoing basis. *Maybe *AI could finally get to point of doing a pretty good simulation…
I’m a proposal coordinator. Companies, governments, and organizations would have to stop using requests for proposals (RFPs) to solicit bids for goods and services.
I’m an electrical engineer. I design hardware and software for real time control.
Get rid of everything even resembling a computer in the world and you’ll stop me from doing my typical day job, but even if civilization completely collapses I can tell you how to take hunks of iron and coils of wire to make electrical generators. I can also tell you how to take simple coils of wire and bits of metal to make relays, and then we’re back into the era of electrically controlled things again. It would take a lot to make an electrical engineer completely obsolete.
Beat the rush, start alternative career training now. There are serious people working very hard on systems that will eliminate, not reduce, traffic accidents.
Disclaimer: I am a fairly insane driverless car advocate.
Everyone learns to cook their own food at home and does not eat out on vacation, and/or microwavable food progresses lightyears beyond where it is now. Nobody gets hungry while they’re out drinking.
I’m a cook at a bar. Booze and food to soak it up will be around for a while.