The emergence of new roles through AI

We hear it more and more often: AI is replacing jobs. Concerned noises fill news feeds and panel discussions, discussing jobs disappearing with the advent of AI. However, there is another side: shifting rather than disappearing.

Last week, two publications appeared that underscore that perspective. The New York Times and the platform 80,000 Hours provide a clear direction of new jobs and skills created precisely by AI.

What AI can't do becomes the new bottleneck

Every technological revolution follows the same pattern. Automation takes over routine work, but at the same time more demand arises for what technology cannot replace: human insight, creativity, judgment, vision.

AI is no exception in this. So the question is not whether work for humans will remain, but which work will become most valuable. For marketers, that means: time to scrutinize existing job profiles and sharpen them for the future.

Four types of skills that are becoming more important

According to 80,000 Hours, there is a clear shift in the value of skills. They distinguish four categories:

• Difficult to automate work
  Complex problem solving, strategic thinking, long-term planning and dealing with fuzzy situations: these are tasks in which AI simply does not excel. It is precisely these "messy" issues that become more valuable.
• Skills that enable AI
  The demand is shifting from performing work to building, managing and improving AI systems. Consider training models, designing workflows and critically evaluating output.
• Work that will always be in demand
  The cheaper AI makes production, the more valuable unique, luxurious and scarce experiences become. Think original content, personal development, live entertainment and high-quality services.
• Hard to imitate expertise
  Rare knowledge, unique experience and deep domain knowledge become more important, especially since AI often does not understand why something works, only that it works.

These categories then translate into concrete new roles.

22 new features created by AI

The New York Times names 22 features created around three pillars: trust, integration and taste.

Trust

AI can generate content but not responsibility. Trust, ethics and accountability remain important human values.

1. AI Auditor: examines algorithms for transparency, operation and reliability.
2. AI Translator: connects tech and business by making AI processes understandable.
3. Trust Director / Authenticator: bears ultimate responsibility for factual accuracy of AI output.
4. AI Ethicist: tests whether AI decisions are defensible, fair and non-discriminatory.
5. Legal Guarantor: assumes legal liability for AI-generated documents.
6. Consistency Coordinator: monitors consistency between AI output and physical reality.
7. Escalation Officer: the human safety net, intervenes where empathy, nuance or human understanding is needed.

Integration

AI systems, like a marketing team with AI colleagues, are not plug-and-play. Human experts must devise, develop, manage, optimize and strategically connect them to corporate data and business goals.

8. AI Integrator: analyzes processes and deploys AI strategically for growth and efficiency.
9. AI Plumber: tracks technical errors within complex AI ecosystems.
10. AI Assessor: continuously evaluates the strength and weakness of new AI models.
11. Integration Specialist: connects chosen AI tools to existing software and workflows.
12. AI Trainer: teaches AI to handle context-specific business data.
13. AI Personality Director: designs the tone and personality of AI touchpoints.
14. Drug-Compliance Optimizer: develops AI for safety and compliance in healthcare.
15. AI/Human Evaluation Specialist: determines optimal division between human and AI work.

Taste

It remains the job of humans to tell AI what to do. Directing AI effectively requires a clear vision of exactly what you want to achieve. In a future where virtually everyone has access to the same generative AI tools, "taste" becomes a differentiator.

16. Product Designer: deploys AI to realize product visions from start to finish.
17. Article Designer: curator of AI content; chooses, combines and refines.
18. Story Designer: drives visual and narrative output through scripts and storyboards.
19. World Designer: creates entire brand worlds, completed by AI.
20. Human Resources Designer: forms culture and communication with AI support.
21. Civil Designer: combines human experience with AI-driven design in urban planning.
22. Differentiation Designer: designs a unique creative signature as a competitive advantage.

What does this mean for marketers?

The most important question is not whether AI will change your work, but how you move with it. According to 80,000 Hours, the best strategy is to learn the very skills that AI will only make more valuable. 

• Automate smartly and purposefully with AI
  AI is not a gimmick. It is a strategic tool to solve real bottlenecks. Use it to reach insights faster, streamline complex work and speed up your creation process. Not to "do more," but to do better.
• Stand up for vision and choices
  The easier it gets to make something, the more important it is to decide what to make. AI doesn't have a strategy; you do. Work on your ability to make choices, set direction and prioritize.
• Make yourself indispensable in collaboration
  Self-organization, communication and the ability to collaborate effectively become the success factors. The rest will be automated. You make the difference by how well you can cooperate with others, human and machine.
• Develop your taste and feel
  Now that everyone has access to the same tools, taste becomes the difference. What feels right? What feels right? What touches? AI can't do that (yet). You can.
• Stay agile
  New roles are constantly emerging. Those who can adapt quickly have the most leeway. Keep learning, stay curious and create room to move.

The future calls for leaders, not followers

The functions of the future require people who can give direction, work well together and dare to make sharp choices. Not by sticking to old routines, but by adapting to what is needed, with a fresh look at their role and added value.

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