The idea that AI will lead to mass unemployment is a common concern, but it is one that may be overstated, especially in the near future. AI’s current capabilities are impressive, but they are still largely complementary to human work rather than substitutive. In other words, AI is more likely to enhance our jobs than to eliminate them.

To understand how AI might change our work, it is helpful to look back at another technological revolution: the rise of search engines, particularly Google. Before search engines, accessing knowledge required significant effort—whether it was looking through books, consulting experts, or conducting original research. Google changed all that by making information instantly accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Initially, people were sheepishly admitting that they had “Googled” something instead of knowing it outright. However, as the technology became more reliable and ubiquitous, it became an accepted and even expected part of everyday life. Today, we rarely think twice about turning to Google for answers, and this shift has fundamentally changed how we approach learning and problem-solving.

A similar evolution is happening with AI, particularly with tools like ChatGPT, people are increasingly turning to AI to help with writing, research, customer service, and even decision-making.