"Lawyers and Doctors are also at risk"... In the AI era, professional polarization will be "all or nothing"

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology advances rapidly, the sense of crisis regarding the existence of professional occupations is growing. Warnings are emerging that professional groups, which in the past enjoyed wealth and honor based on highly advanced knowledge and the monopoly of information, could be replaced by AI. However, experts analyze that it is not simply that jobs will disappear, but rather that a "polarization" will occur where the value of professionals is extremely divided depending on their ability to utilize AI.

A case where ChatGPT beat a lawyer... The end of the era of information deliverers

The crisis of professionals, who are called the highest knowledge groups, is already appearing in reality. According to a video from the YouTube channel 'Finance with Toad Tax Accountant', a case recently occurred where an ordinary person filed a lawsuit against a lawyer but won by utilizing ChatGPT. The case began with a dispute over legal fees between the lawyer and the client, and the lawyer lost as the client used ChatGPT to find legal loopholes. The video explained the background of this incident as a result of the client directly responding using ChatGPT in a situation where other lawyers did not step in during a fight between lawyers.

Author Lee Si-han explained the reason for this phenomenon in the video, stating, "There are many tasks in professional work that are perfect for AI to replace." In particular, he warned that professionals performing tasks at the level of simply delivering information that is difficult for ordinary people to interpret, such as legal provisions, or preparing standardized documents, are at risk. Lee said, "Since the role of delivering information is much better performed by AI, only those who interpret information and establish strategies can survive." On the other hand, he added that planning-type professionals who establish corporate strategies and leave detailed documentation to AI will actually see "the work they can do increase tenfold because they can perform alone what originally required ten assistant staff members."

Technology revolution and the limits of cartels seen through the case of the 'Coachmen's Association'

The process of technological advancement breaking down the vested interests of existing industries has been repeated throughout history. Author Lee Si-han explained this by citing the past case of the 'Coachmen's Association' in the United Kingdom. When the early automobile industry emerged, the Coachmen's Association, which sought to protect the horse-drawn carriage industry, lobbied for and passed the 'Red Flag Act', which required an assistant holding a red flag to accompany the operation of automobiles. This was a powerful regulation that hindered the growth of the automobile industry, but ultimately could not stop the flow of technology.

Lee predicted, "In the end, the coachmen disappeared, and AI is spreading much faster than the time it took for horse carriages and automobiles to be distributed," adding, "Existing cartels or regulations will eventually collapse before the spread of AI, which prioritizes efficiency." The analysis suggests that the efficiency brought by technology is rapidly breaking down the entry barriers maintained by existing occupational groups. In particular, the view was presented that AI is an 'elderly-friendly technology' that allows even the elderly, who find it difficult to find buttons, to issue commands through 'speech (language)', which will further accelerate the speed of technological spread.

Survival strategy in the AI era: 'Simple tasks' to AI, 'Planning' to humans

Then, what are the conditions for a job to survive in the AI era? Lee analyzed that rather than entire occupations disappearing, the 'areas to be replaced' and 'areas to be enhanced' will be divided according to the nature of the work. For example, in the case of marketing roles, about 80% of tasks such as data collection or paperwork can be replaced by AI, but the remaining 20% of core tasks such as communication, negotiation, and strategic judgment remain in the human domain.

Lee pointed out, "People who rely solely on administrative skills, such as simply making good PPTs, are bound to disappear." On the other hand, he emphasized that professionals who use AI as a tool to maximize work efficiency and perform in the areas of planning and connection that AI cannot do can actually produce more than 10 times the performance than in the past. He added, "AI is a technology that allows everything to be processed through speech (language) even if one does not know coding, and ultimately, the method of utilization and the will regarding 'how to utilize this technology' will determine survival." Ultimately, the future of professional occupations is expected to result in an "all or nothing" polarization depending on whether they lower the 'threshold' of work through AI or maintain that threshold and use AI to create higher value.