Last Updated on August 6, 2025 by now4dw
Let me tell you a story — not from the history books, but from my own life.
When I started working in business – I’d just graduated as an accountant – we used pens, paper, and those clunky old adding machines that made a racket every time you hit the total key. Numbers took time. Reports took days. Mistakes? Well, you’d better hope you caught them before they reached the boss.
Then something magical happened.
Calculators.
Small, affordable ones. Suddenly, I could check sums in seconds. That wasn’t cheating – it was efficiency. I didn’t become less valuable. I became faster. And that meant I could help more clients, solve bigger problems, and grow faster in my career.
Not long after that came the desktop computer.
Let me tell you – it was love at first spreadsheet.
No more handwritten ledgers. No more hours formatting reports. I had tools that let me think instead of just do. I could model a business, explore scenarios, and give advice that was once impossible without a team of analysts.
Then came the internet. Then came email. Then came the smartphone.
And boom – the world changed again.
Now, my phone’s not just for calls. It’s my bank, my shopping cart, my daily newspaper, and sometimes even my flashlight. I can message you, my grandkids, book a doctor’s appointment, listen to Beethoven or Beyoncé, and check if it’s going to rain – all while waiting for my coffee.
Then came voice assistants.
Now I can say, “Hey Google, set a timer for my sourdough,” or “Alexa, play jazz,” and boom – it’s like having a butler who never sleeps (even if it occasionally mishears “Billie Holiday” as “chilli holiday”).
And yes, of course we’ve misused some of it. We’ve spent too long on screens, believed the wrong things, bought stuff we didn’t need, and let it steal our attention more often than it should.
But even with all that?
Technology has made life better. Richer. More connected. More creative.
So here we are. Another turning point. This one’s called AI.
Artificial Intelligence isn’t coming.
It’s already here.
It’s in your phone. It’s in your search results. It’s helping doctors detect diseases earlier. It’s writing emails, suggesting recipes, helping students understand math. It’s already boosting productivity – just like the calculator, just like the PC.
But here’s the thing you need to hear from someone who’s watched every wave of change wash over the workforce:
AI is not the end of work. But it is the end of some kinds of work.
Just like the tractor changed farming, or Excel changed bookkeeping, AI will make some jobs disappear.
But it will also create new ones. Better ones. More human ones.
Robots and AI: The Next Chapter
AI isn’t just a brain in a box. It’s teaching machines to see, move, and act.
Right now, factories use robots for dangerous or repetitive jobs.
Very soon – and I mean very soon – we’ll see home robots that clean not just your floors, but your bathrooms, windows, benches, and laundry too. Think of a housekeeper that never needs coffee breaks or a lunchroom.
And with ageing populations across the world, AI-driven carers will become vital. They’ll remind us to take medication, detect falls, call for help, and even keep us company when no one else is around.
Your robovac is just the beginning.
Valve TVs gave way to flat screens.
Soon, today’s “smart devices” will seem laughably simple.
So What Should You Do?
Simple:
Don’t fear AI. Understand it. Learn it. Use it.
Life is full of change. You can either fight it, or ride the wave.
This isn’t about being a tech wizard. It’s about being curious.
Ask questions. Try the tools. Follow the trends.
AI is a bicycle for the mind – you still have to steer, but it’ll take you much farther, much faster.
There will always be fulfilling work for those who are flexible, creative, and open to change.
In fact, many jobs are already growing thanks to AI — and not just in Silicon Valley.
💼 Jobs Already at Risk
These are roles AI is starting to impact:
- Data entry clerks
- Telemarketers
- Basic customer support agents
- Simple copywriters
- Translators (for major languages)
They aren’t vanishing overnight — but the writing’s on the wall. AI handles these tasks faster, cheaper, and 24/7.
🔄 Jobs Changing Fast
These jobs aren’t disappearing, but they’re being transformed:
- Administrative assistants (AI is doing scheduling and drafting)
- Accountants (AI helps — but human judgment is still gold)
- Teachers (AI supports learning, but students need real connection)
- Journalists and marketers (AI generates content, but truth and storytelling still matter)
- Legal assistants (AI reviews documents, but humans still handle nuance)
🚀 Jobs Growing Because of AI
Here’s where it gets exciting. These roles are expanding:
- AI ethics officers and safety testers
- Robotics technicians and engineers
- Prompt engineers (yes, that’s a real job now)
- Mental health professionals (increased demand in a fast-changing world)
- Creative professionals: artists, performers, designers
- Skilled trades: electricians, plumbers, builders – AI won’t fix your leaky tap
- Teachers, coaches, carers – the human element never goes out of style
Final Thoughts – From Your Grandparent (Still on the Payroll)
I’ve lived long enough to see typewriters replaced by keyboards and monitors
Mail by email.
Phone books by Google.
Maps by GPS.
And I promise you – it wasn’t always easy.
But it was always worth it.
AI will do for your generation what calculators did for mine:
Free you to do more, do it faster, and think bigger.
So please – don’t fear it.
Learn it. Use it. Question it. Shape it.
Be the kind of person who sees change coming and runs toward it – not away from it.
Because the future isn’t waiting.
It’s already here.
And it’s got potential written all over it.
Love,
Grandad
P.S If you’d like to share this story, you can download an illustrated version here
