Will ChatGPT make my job redundant?.
Many workers around the world are now fearing that ChatGPT could make their job redundant. And it’s an understandable fear given ChatGPT’s phenomenal capabilities. Artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT have the ability to perform a number of roles – from writing software code and articles, to performing bookkeeping, data entry, and customer service duties. This is among many other capabilities that are fast improving, which could soon see many employees made redundant and dismissed, surplus to requirements. Its a changing world out there. we all know that and there will be winners and losers out of it all. Make sure where you can that your on the winning side.
The rise of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbots
The fear of workers being made redundant or dismissed due to artificial intelligence exponentially increased in November 2022. That was when ChatGPT (which stands for generative pre-trained transformer) was launched by OpenAI, an American artificial intelligence research laboratory. ChatGPT accumulated users at an unbelievable rate. After only five days, there were 1 million ChatGPT users across the globe.
To put that in perspective, it took Instagram two and a half months to reach the same amount of users back in 2010. ChatGPT now has over 100 million users worldwide. ChatGPT is just one of many generative artificial intelligence chatbots that are threatening to make many roles redundant. Like ChatGPT, these chatbots can perform a number of tasks – from writing articles and software code, to answering customer questions. In February, Microsoft launched a new instance of its search engine Bing that is fuelled by the same artificial intelligence that powers ChatGPT.
At the same time, Microsoft also introduced new artificial intelligence capabilities for its Edge browser. And not long after, it launched Copilot, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant. Copilot integrates with the Microsoft 365 apps and helps users write emails, articles, presentations and much more. In March 2023, Google released its chatbot, Bard AI, to users in the United States and United Kingdom. And there is a growing range of other chatbots similar to ChatGPT, which have the potential to make many roles redundant.
Which jobs could ChatGPT make redundant?
Artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are already capable of performing a range of tasks almost instantly. And they are quickly becoming even smarter, increasing the risk that ChatGPT will make many jobs redundant.
In March 2023, global investment bank Goldman Sachs released a report that claimed up to 300 million full-time jobs worldwide are at risk of being made redundant by generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. The report stated that 18% of jobs could be automated. And that in the United States and Europe, around two-thirds of jobs are currently “exposed to some degree of AI automation.”
So which jobs are at the highest risk of being made redundant by ChatGPT and other chatbots? For the answer, one ChatGPT user asked the chatbot itself to detail the top jobs that it could soon make redundant. This included data entry clerks, paralegals and bookkeepers, to telemarketers, travel agents and real estate agents.
Software programming and customer service roles are also at risk of being made redundant by ChatGPT. In January 2023, it was reported that Amazon was already using ChatGPT to write software code, create training documents, and answer tricky customer questions. Amazon had set up a small team to understand how the company can use artificial intelligence to work more efficiently. And after testing the capabilities of ChatGPT, the team found that it does “a very good job” at answer customer support questions.
“Overemployed” workers are fooling their employers by using ChatGPT
But while so many workers fear being made redundant by ChatGPT, some are using it to their advantage. These workers refer to themselves as “overemployed” because they are working more than one job. And they are able to do so because of ChatGPT.
For the time being, these workers aren’t afraid of ChatGPT taking their jobs. Instead, they have become skilled at using the chatbot to fool their employers. That is, into thinking that they are dedicating their full attention to their job. What they are doing, however, is working multiple full-time jobs simultaneously, and letting ChatGPT do most of the work. “ChatGPT does like 80 per cent of my job,” said Ben, a worker using ChatGPT to work multiple jobs, to Vice.
Ben, which isn’t his real name, works in marketing for multiple financial technology companies. He says that he first heard of the idea of being overemployed from friends, who were working multiple full-time jobs during the pandemic. Then when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, he quickly began learning how he could use it to perform his job more efficiently.
ChatGPT can have positive outcomes for employees
Ben says that ChatGPT made his job “not a little bit more easy,” but “like, way easier.” That’s when he thought about starting a second full-time job. Ben now works a second job, and ChatGPT helps him to get his work done in no time. If Ben needs to create a story for an upcoming product release, he simply explains what he needs to ChatGPT and feeds it a template. A few seconds later, the task is complete.
“I can just tell it to create a story,” said Ben, “and it just does it for me, based off the context that I gave it.” So for some employees, ChatGPT is far from making their jobs redundant. Instead, it’s allowing them to work more jobs than is humanly possible.
Can I legally be made redundant by ChatGPT?
We must emphasise that ChatGPT is not likely to make you redundant any time soon. While it has the ability to efficiently perform a number of roles, it does have its imperfections. ChatGPT often generates incorrect answers to simple questions. In fact, its creator Open AI has stated that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.”
But if your job can be performed by ChatGPT, your employer has the legal right to make you redundant. Under Australia’s workplace laws, a redundancy can take place when an employer does not require a worker’s role to be performed by anyone. According to the Fair Work Commission, this includes when “new technology” can perform the employee’s role.
What is the process of being made redundant?
The National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009 outline the process that employers must follow when making employees redundant. If an employer doesn’t follow this process, an employee can challenge their redundancy by making an unfair dismissal application with the Fair Work Commission.
An employer must start the process as soon as possible. This involves:
- Communicating to the employee that they are considering making their role redundant.
- Providing the employee with all the necessary information about the redundancy.
- Having a discussion with the employee about the steps that can be taken to lessen the negative effects of the redundancy.
- Considering any ideas or suggestions that the employee has related to the redundancy.
- Consider if there are opportunities to redeploy the employee within the company. Or to redeploy them in a role at an entity associated with the employer.
Do I get compensation if I’m made redundant?
If you are made redundant by ChatGPT, you may very well be entitled to compensation. The amount of redundancy pay you will receive is calculated based on how long you have worked for your employer.
For instance, if you have been employed for at least a year but less than two years, you will receive four weeks of redundancy pay. While if you worked for your employer for two years but less than three years, you will receive six weeks of redundancy pay. You can view how many weeks’ redundancy pay you will receive on the Fair Work Commission website. Redundancy pay is paid according to your base rate of pay for ordinary hours worked. This doesn’t include bonuses, loadings, overtime or penalty rates, or any other separate payments.
Can I refuse to give up my job?
Unfortunately, if your job is truly made surplus to requirements by ChatGPT, and your employer informs you of your redundancy in the manner we previously described, you won’t be within your rights to hang on to your job. However, if your employer didn’t appropriately consult you about your redundancy. And you weren’t redeployed to another position when you could have been, you may have a case to make with the Fair Work Commission.
If you have experienced an ingenuine redundancy, we at A Whole New Approach can help you make an unfair dismissal claim. You can call us today on 1800 333 666 for a free and confidential discussion about your circumstances.
Should ChatGPT be banned?
With so many jobs at risk of being made redundant by ChatGPT, many are warning of the dangers of artificial intelligence. This includes Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was a founder of ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAi, and pledged US$100 million to the company when it was a not-for-profit.
Musk has regularly shared his anxiety over the dangers that artificial intelligence poses to society. When the latest version of the ChatGPT – GPT-4 – was released in March, Musk tweeted “What will be left for us humans to do?” He has since signed an open letter demanding a pause on the development of artificial intelligence systems for at least six months. The open letter, which was signed by other tech industry luminaries including Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, states that “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity”
“Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us?” reads the letter. “Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?” While many are calling for caution in the development of artificial intelligence, some believe banning ChatGPT may be necessary. And the chatbot has already been banned in many schools and universities worldwide, for obvious reasons. In Australia, the Victorian government temporarily banned ChatGPT in state schools, pending a review on the implications of artificial intelligence technology.
But while ChatGPT threatens to upend the way students learn and make many jobs redundant, some believe that it will create millions of new jobs. The World Economic Forum believes that while artificial intelligence will likely see 85 million jobs globally disappear. But it will also create 97 million new jobs in fields like big data, information security and digital marketing.
Are you a victim of an ingenuine redundancy?
If you’ve been unfairly dismissed, A Whole New Approach can help. We are Australia’s leading workplace mediators, with a proven track record of handling over 16,000 Fair Work Commission cases. We can guide you through the process of making an unfair dismissal claim with the Fair Work Commission. But time is of the essence. You must make your claim within 21 days of your dismissal.
So if you’ve been unfairly dismissed, don’t hesitate to contact us. Take advantage of our free initial consultation to understand your rights and explore your options.
Call us at 1800 333 666 for a confidential discussion. you only pay if we win your case.
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